“We don’t want to have any more Disease Awareness Months.”

Nicole Small
CEO
Lyda Hill Philanthropies
.…speaking at Thursday’s launch of the ARPA-H customer experience hub at Pegasus Park.

The Dallas-based customer experience hub of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health had its official launch yesterday at Pegasus Park. The hub’s first mission: making it easier for Americans from across the country to take part in clinical trials, through the Advancing Clinical Trial Readiness Initiative.

At the launch event, Small said that ARPA-H “is all about high-risk, high-reward opportunities. And we know that with the assets we have here, not only in Texas, but across our spoke network, we can reduce the risk and increase the rewards for patients everywhere.”

Then Small gestured at her clothing—and made a point:

“I wear pink today to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and that, at the end of the day, is why we’re here. We’re here because we, like ARPA-H and everybody else in this room, believe that patients should come first. We believe that we want to change the patient journey. We want to make life better for patients. If we don’t have our health, we basically have nothing.”

“So we can talk about process and all these fun things, but we’re here because we don’t want to have any more Disease Awareness Months,” Small added. “We want to cure those diseases. And so that’s why we’re all here today.

Small noted that the launch event’s audience included key figures from top health institutions, nonprofits, community groups, academia, government, and the corporate sector. She also welcomed Texas Texas hub partners from across the Lone Star State, including those from Austin, Houston, and San Antonio, and acknowledged ARPANET colleagues visiting from Boston’s Investor Catalyst Hub.

“It’s been a really fun two years, and there’s so many people who’ve been in this room who joined us on this journey,” she said, referring to the bid to bring the national health hub to Texas.

“It’s with your partnership and innovative ideas that ARPA-H can thrive and its mission to accelerate better health outcomes for all,” Small said to audience.

For more of who said what about all things North Texas, check out Every Last Word.