Leading Health Industry Experts To Speak At PHA Forum In Scottsdale, Arizona

Speakers at nation’s largest population health gathering to include leaders from Accenture, The Kennedy Forum, HICCup and Jefferson School of Population Health

The Population Health Alliance (PHA), a global trade association of the population health industry, announced detailed information recently about the four internationally renowned industry thought leaders who will serve as keynote speakers during the organization’s PHA Forum 2014 from Dec. 10 to 12 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The speakers at the event, the nation’s largest and most diverse gathering of population health professionals, include Esther Dyson, founder of HICCup and chairman of EDventure Holdings; William Emmet, executive director of The Kennedy Forum; Dr. David B. Nash, founding dean of the Jefferson School of Population Health; and Dr. Kaveh Safavi, global managing director, health industry for Accenture.

In addition to presentations by each keynote speaker, the three-day PHA Forum will offer a variety of networking opportunities for hundreds of attendees from around the world. The event will also provide four unique tracks of educational sessions focusing on proven processes and procedures developed by leading professionals in population health management. Online registration for the three-day PHA Forum is open until Dec. 6 at www.populationhealthalliance.org/forum.

“The PHA Forum provides a rare opportunity for attendees to receive valuable insights from highly recognized industry leaders who offer a wealth of expertise in their respective fields,” said PHA Executive Director Fred Goldstein. “We implemented a rigorous selection process to identify the world-class keynote speakers for this year’s event.”

The event’s keynote speakers include:

Esther Dyson, founder of HICCup and chairman of EDventure Holdings
Presentation: “The Way to Wellville”
Dyson serves as the founder of HICCup, a nonprofit organization sponsoring an initiative among five communities across the U.S. to achieve significant and lasting improvements in health and economic vitality. She is also chair of EDventure Holdings, through which she invests in and fosters the development of start-ups in the health care, human capital and aerospace industries. Dyson, who trained in Russia as a backup cosmonaut, also authored the bestselling book “Release 2.0: A Design for Living in the Digital Age.” She sits on the boards of 23andMe, a personal genetics company based in Mountain View, California, and Voxiva, a mobile health and wellness company.

William Emmet, executive director of The Kennedy Forum
Presentation: “Opportunities and Challenges Associated with Mental Health Parity”
Emmet serves as the executive director of The Kennedy Forum, an organization founded by former Congressman Patrick Kennedy to focus on improving mental health and addiction services and policy in the U.S. An established mental health advocate and policy consultant, Emmet previously served as the director of the Campaign for Mental Health Reform, where he coordinated the efforts of 18 national organizations with the goal of promoting effective mental health services nationwide. On behalf of the campaign, he testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and participated in the White House Forum on Health Reform. He has also held leadership positions with the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, the National Alliance on Mental Illness and Fellowship Health Resources, Inc.

Dr. David B. Nash, founding dean of the Jefferson School of Population Health
Presentation: “Where is the Beef?”
Nash serves as the founding dean of the Jefferson School of Population Health at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, the first designated school of population health in the U.S. A board-certified internist, Nash is internationally recognized for his work in outcome management, medical staff development and quality-of-care improvement. Repeatedly included on Modern Healthcare’s list of Most Powerful People in Healthcare, Nash has held leadership positions with a variety of prominent health care organizations, including the National Quality Forum Technical Advisory Panel, the Care Continuum Alliance, Humana and Endo Health Solutions. Nash has authored more than 100 articles for health journals and reaches more than 100,000 people per month through his blog, public appearances, publications and online column on MedPage Today.

Dr. Kaveh Safavi, global managing director, health industry for Accenture
Presentation: “Looking Abroad: Global Lessons for the Population Health Field”
Safavi, managing director for Accenture’s global health care business, is tasked with developing and implementing growth strategies for the company. Board certified in internal medicine and pediatrics, Safavi offers more than two decades of experience as a health care executive. His career history includes leading the global health care practice for Cisco and serving as chief medical officer of health businesses for Thomson Reuters, where he created the Center for Healthcare Improvement. He also served in leadership roles with Solucient, Humana, Alexian Hospital Network and HealthSpring, where he established one of the first electronic medical record systems in the Midwest.

In addition to the four keynote speakers, the PHA Forum 2014 will offer a number of other highly respected featured speakers leading educational sessions throughout the event. Notable speakers during these sessions include:

• Rain Henderson, CEO, Clinton Health Matters Initiative, Clinton Foundation
• Jennifer Flynn, strategy consultant, Mayo Clinic
• Frances Martini, director of population health management, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee

About the Population Health Alliance
The Population Health Alliance (PHA) is a global trade association of the population health industry. Its more than 80 members represent stakeholders from across the health care delivery system that seek to improve health outcomes, optimize medical and administrative spending, and drive affordability. Through its robust advocacy, research and education initiatives, the PHA offers members a forum to advance shared learning and applied research to further innovation and establish best practices in the population health field. For more information, visit www.populationhealthalliance.org.