Coming soon: Business of Healthcare Conference

11/13/2012 - On Nov. 16 and 17, the Kellogg School of Management will host the 13th Business of Healthcare Conference, “Transformations in Healthcare,” at the James L. Allen Center.

Zeroing in on key issues facing the healthcare sector, the upcoming Business of Healthcare Conference will tackle topics such as the implications of recent political and policy developments; surging demand in emerging markets for access to health services; and changes in healthcare investing and future opportunities. Attendees of the two-day event will have the opportunity to hear from speakers and panelists from business, government, and academia.

An industry in flux
“The impact of the healthcare sector spans multiple industries and affects our lives at the deepest levels,” says conference co-chair Lindsey Fujita ’13. “Uncertainty about healthcare costs ranks alongside economic uncertainty at the top of CEO issues.”

Following the recent U.S. presidential race, the upcoming conference will focus on the transformation of healthcare on both a national and global scale. It will explore how changes in healthcare policy such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as “Obamacare”) increased participation from individual consumers, and provision of health services to international markets is forcing adoption of new business models to sustain growth. Political and regulatory forces have healthcare providers, payers, and producers scrambling to stay competitive.

According to Fujita and co-chair Saurabh Shah ’13, the constant push for organizations to improve patient care and develop new products — along with the rising costs of care — make transformation in the sector inevitable.

The conference will be open to students, alumni, budding entrepreneurs, and professionals in and outside the healthcare industry. Two networking events are scheduled: a Friday evening cocktail hour to be held at the Hilton Orrington Hotel in downtown Evanston and followed by the first of the conference’s three keynote lectures; and a Saturday afternoon reception at the conclusion of the conference.

Further reading: 
2011 Business of Healthcare Conference