What FARI means to me

by Duncan Finlay, CEO

You don’t get many, if any, chances to make a difference that will positively impact the lives of millions of people.

That chance came to me in 2005 when Steven and Barbara Rothman appeared in my office with an idea that ultimately became the Rothman Index (RI), developed by Steven and his brother, Michael, in an attempt to keep other patients and families from experiencing the kind of preventable death that took their mother’s life.

If I have anything to be proud of in my life it is that I recognized and supported their efforts, their altruism, their genius and their struggles to bring their work to the healthcare world. It has not been quick or easy but today the Rothman Index is saving hundreds of lives and preventing unnecessary suffering with only more and better things to come as it moves from the hospital to the rest of the healthcare world.

I now go to work every day at FARI, our research institute dedicated to bringing the same approach to data analysis that created the RI to everything from early detection of Alzheimer’s Disease to new reference limits for common laboratory tests, predicting and preventing hospital readmissions and not least, enhancing the Rothman Index. I work every day with unbelievably talented people as we discover the information not easily visible in the data stored in electronic medical records. I marvel at the skills and brilliance of my colleagues as they use data analytic techniques that are on the cutting edge.

I remain convinced and committed to that cause and know we will make a real difference in the lives of others.