Updated 10:11 a.m., April 1, 2010.The Ohio bioscience industry grew by several measures through the recent economic downturn, continuing its decade-long path from a promising opportunity to a global powerhouse, according to Tony Dennis, president and chief executive of BioOhio.“Ohio’s aggressive and sound investment strategies in the biosciences are delivering results in the form of [...]

The Expo will feature more than 60 exhibitors covering all aspects of moving biomedical products from idea to market, including laboratory supplies, clinical trial support, contract manufacturing, product design and prototyping, marketing advice, regulatory and legal counsel, and more.

The nonprofit, state-sponsored group that has been charged with promoting electronic health records adoption in Ohio has received a $43 million federal grant. The grant to the Ohio Health Information Partnership comes from last year’s federal stimulus act and is part of $1 billion in recently announced federal funding for health information technology.

Four Ohio organizations will receive a total of $19 million in federal funding to train workers for jobs in the health care industry. The funding comes from last year’s federal stimulus act and will be distributed by the U.S. Department of Labor.

MetroHealth System is considering closing the Asia Plaza Health Center’s doors by August, moving the services elsewhere, and forcing more than 2,300 patients to change where they see their doctors, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Start-up Bridgehead Solutions LLC, which aims to help foreign device firms enter the U.S. market, could be coming to Ohio, but it’s going to take $2 million to $3 million to ensure the company finds its way to the Buckeye state.

BioOhio and LifeScience Alley, the state biotechnology development organizations in Ohio and Minnesota, have joined 20 other industry associations asking legislators to limit the medical device taxes or fees proposed in both the House and Senate versions of health care reform.

BioOhio will do a virtual career fair for job seekers in the health care industry from 5:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. today. Representatives from organizations like Battelle, the Lerner Research Institute at the Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland’s University Hospitals are expected to discuss their job openings and qualifications, and how to apply.

Ohio kept its No. 4 ranking for the strength of its biotechnology industry in Business Facilities magazine’s annual list, partly because of continued investments by Ohio Third Frontier, according to BioOhio, the state’s bioscience development organization.

BioOhio’s annual conference has always been about growth. This year’s conference — BioGPS: Global Positioning for Success — adds a global twist to growth for Ohio’s medical and testing laboratories; medical device, drug and equipment developers; contract research and manufacturing organizations; and health information technology and consulting companies.