2020 Annual Report

2020 ANNUAL REPORT LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO

For 27 years, The Geneva Foundation’s history has been filled with achievements and challenges that have driven innovative thinking and powerful military medical research around the world, shaping us into the organization we are today.

Geneva’s long-term success is, in part, due to a disciplined management approach that prioritizes flexibility as we address the world’s most pressing healthcare needs. 2020 was no different in that regard – but 2020 will be long remembered as a defining moment in Geneva’s history. The events of the past year presented obstacles of a magnitude that were impossible to predict, as we responded to the myriad of challenges associated with the global COVID-19 pandemic, among other national societal issues. However, 2020 also created new opportunities for Geneva, as we pivoted to respond to and address the needs and expectations of our employees, military partners, research teams, and key stakeholders.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought to the forefront the importance of prioritizing our individual and collective health, and the commitment we’ve made to support the medical research needs of the Department of Defense. I am immensely proud of Geneva’s ability to respond quickly to these challenges and build upon them as we plan for the future.

Geneva’s participation in Operation Warp Speed presented an incredibly unique opportunity for the organization, as we mobilized our vast clinical trials expertise and network of military treatment facilities in the execution of two global vaccine clinical trials. True to form, Geneva was able to rapidly advance and operationalize clinical trials at six military treatment facilities nationwide, recruit and hire over 100 highly skilled and technical personnel to support the trials, procure over 17,000 items in support, all while meeting regulatory requirements within the accelerated timeline. The pace and scope of this complex and momentous effort is unprecedented and could not have been accomplished without our incredible employees and research teams.

Geneva was also part of a team selected to lead an effort to address the urgent needs to expand telehealth services and critical care resources to every bedside. COVID-19 highlighted a critical problem to address – the shortage of critical care trained clinicians. The National TeleCritical Care Network (NETCCN) for COVID-19 is an example of what can happen when we leverage existing partnerships for the greater good.

COVID-19 aside, it was a transformative year in several other areas of military medicine. Geneva researchers working with the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Biology Consortium uncovered distinct biotypes for PTSD, the first of any kind for any psychological disorder, shedding light on better screening tools for combat veterans. The USU-4D Bio³ Center for Biotechnology (4DBio³), managed by Geneva, launched the On-Demand Blood program and conducted a successful 3D-bioprinting mission in space. The Musculoskeletal Injury Rehabilitation Research for Operational Readiness (MIRROR) program, launched in 2019, has already enrolled over 1,000 patients across 12 rehabilitative medicine studies, and streamlined 11 musculoskeletal injury protocols across three branches of the military.

Geneva enters 2021 with a focused Board of Directors, engaged Scientific Advisory Board, and over 500 dedicated employees who are ready to tackle the next set of challenges. As the events of 2020 have proven, we know that together, we can do amazing things. We are equally appreciative of our donors whose support enables us to further grow our capabilities and inspire young, novice researchers to pursue their passions.

This report illustrates Geneva’s efforts to advance military medicine around the world for the global community and spotlights our teamwork in action. We are grateful for your ongoing support of Geneva’s mission.

Sincerely,

Elise W. Huszar, MBA
President and Chief Executive Officer