Biomedical Research Foundation unveiled its new name, logo and other updated branding at its Annual Meeting hosted Tuesday, Sept. 20 at East Ridge Country Club in Shreveport.
The organization’s new name is BRF, accompanied by tagline “Building our Region’s Future.”
“We’ve decided to embark on a comprehensive rebranding effort in order to more accurately communicate who we are and what we do,” said John F. George, Jr., M.D., President and CEO of BRF. “We have a new name, logo and tagline, along with new statements of our mission, vision and values so that the way we present ourselves is more in line with the greater capacity we’ve achieved as an organization.”
BRF’s mission remains to diversify the region’s economy, the organization’s original charge when it was founded in 1986 as an initiative to spur economic progress after a downturn in the region’s oil industry.
In the past 10 years, BRF has added six new business units, grown its total assets from $63 million to $382 million, operating budgets from $15 million to $500 million, and total employees from 51 to over 3,300.
“While biomedical research remains a very important part of our overall mission, we’ve experienced growth across many other business categories,” said George.
The expansion covers industries such as biomedical, healthcare, entrepreneurial development, digital media and more.
BRF today
Name – BRF
Tagline – Building our Region’s Future
Mission – Diversify and grow our region’s economy.
Vision – Operate as a catalyst to expand and develop research, entrepreneurship and high-growth business in our region.
Values – Innovation. Collaboration. Problem Solving. Bold Action.
At the Annual Meeting, BRF leaders also provided highlights of the organization and its business units’ accomplishments for the year.
Included in the accomplishments were national accreditations and recognitions for BRF’s largest business unit, University Health System; services to 112 startup companies through the Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program (EAP); support and services for 24 InterTech Science Park tenants, who employ 3,110 individuals with an annual payroll of more than $161.3 million; clinical PET imaging scans to more than 1,750 patients at the Center for Molecular Imaging and Therapy (CMIT); new clinical trials through the Office for Research Development and Administration (ORDA); a new Game Development course offering through the Digital Media Institute at InterTech (DMII); and 200 local seniors graduating BRF’s EdVentures initiative, the Science and Medicine Academic Research Training (SMART) program.
Meeting attendees received an update on BRF’s ongoing relationship with its University Health System clinical partner, LSU School of Medicine Shreveport.
At the close of the program, BRF leaders recognized Stephen F. Skrivanos, outgoing BRF Board of Directors chairman, who will remain Chairman of the University Health System Board of Managers.
“Our heartfelt thanks go to Steve, who worked tirelessly during his tenure and led the Board in our biggest achievement as an organization, ensuring the survival and ongoing success of the University Health Hospital System,” said Malcolm Murchison, BRF Board of Directors Chairman. “We and this community are indebted to him for helping save more than 3,200 jobs and North Louisiana’s safety net hospitals.”
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