With the National Institutes of Health, FDA, world-class academic researchers, private life science firms, State incentives, and other major Federal, private and university life science assets, the Chesapeake Crescent Region is one of the top regions in the country in life sciences. This region is a leader not solely because of its significant research and development assets, but also because this region is the center of the transformation in national health care policy. The rapidly growing cost of healthcare and the accelerating pace of medical science are creating extraordinary opportunities for new medical devices, treatments and practices, requiring dramatic shifts in our research investments and processes for assessing the safety, efficiency and efficacy of life science innovations.