Annual Wharton Health Care Business Conference to address innovation, change (sponsored post)

This post is sponsored by the Wharton Health Care Business Conference.

With health care reform on the minds of most Americans, a theme of change seems fitting for this year’s Wharton Health Care Business Conference in Philadelphia, Pa.

The 16th annual Wharton Health Care Business Conference will take place Feb. 25 and 26 at Park Hyatt at the Bellevue. “Breaking Barriers: Innovation Leading to Change” will look at how companies and people in every sector of health care are leading change in this dynamic field.

MedCity News is a media sponsor for this leading health care forum, which typically attracts more than 700 industry professionals, academics and students from across the country. The conference will feature distinguished speakers, panel discussions, special events and networking opportunities.

Keynote speakers are: Jeff Margolis, TriZetto Chairman and CEO; Dr. John H. Cochran, Executive Director, The Permanente Federation; Dr. Howard K. Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and Bruce Downey, Partner at NewSpring Capital & former Chairman and CEO of Barr Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Donald W. Rucker, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Siemens Medical Solutions; and Sue Schade, VP & CIO at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, will be Capstone speakers.

The Focus on Innovation portion of the conference aspires to bring together startups, venture capitalists and industry professionals in a dynamic forum. The event begins with short presentations from some of the region’s most promising companies as recommended by an advisory board of leading venture capitalists. After the presentations, Focus on Innovation will showcase several early stage companies to allow in-depth discussions with founders/CEOs and foster networking opportunities. A panel discussion, “Life Science Venture Capital Investment Strategies in a Time of Reform,” will follow.

Other panel discussions will address the following topics: “Finance: Lessons Learned for the New Challenges Ahead,” “What is the Next Business Model for the Pharma/Biotech Industry?,” “Impact of Health Care Reform, Industry Response” and “Medical Device Models for Delivering Exceptional Value.”