Healthcare 2005: A Workshop on Pursuing Effective Business Leadership and Management of Healthcare Enterprises

The Yale School of Management hosted a conference and networking forum featuring healthcare industry leaders and members of the Yale health-related community. “Healthcare 2005: A Workshop on Pursuing Effective Business Leadership and Management of Healthcare Enterprises,” took place on Friday, February 4, 2005, from noon to 5:00 p.m., at the Yale School of Management in New Haven, Conn.

Healthcare 2005 featured lively, interactive discussions about the current challenges and opportunities confronting the health sector and career strategies for today’s healthcare environment. Participants included executives from the pharmaceutical, managed care, insurance, assisted living, and health consulting arenas, and alumni, faculty, and students from throughout Yale, including the Schools of Management, Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health.

“We want to bring together leaders from the frontlines of healthcare to talk about what’s happening in all aspects of the field, from drug development to access to care,” said conference organizer Sam Forman, Medical Director of American Healthways and an alumnus of the Yale School of Management. “The diverse health expertise that resides at Yale makes it the perfect venue for this exchange of ideas.”

Healthcare 2005 kicked off with a panel discussion entitled “The Breadth of Needs and Opportunities in the Healthcare Sector,” which explored upcoming trends that will govern both business opportunities and career choices for individuals for decades to come. Following the panel, six small breakout sessions enabled participants to roll up their sleeves and delve more deeply into a variety of issues, including healthcare entrepreneurship, the prospects for big pharma, nontraditional healthcare careers, healthcare policy, and the continuing evolution of health insurance structures.

Panelists included Julia Portale ’95, Director, Pfizer Health Solutions; Paul Sullivan ’96, Vice President for Strategy and Technical Operations, American Red Cross; Karen Anderson ’87, President and CEO, Cordia Senior Living; Walter Ogier ’87, President, Genetix Pharmaceuticals; Kristin Bass ’90, Vice President for Federal Affairs, Wellpoint; Carol Beasley ’90, Vice President and Director, Institute for Healthcare Improvement; Paul Coggin ’95, Managing Partner, Compass Strategic Consulting; Robert Bettigole ’83, Managing Partner, Elm Street Ventures; Michael Schmertzler ’74, Chair of the Investment Committee, Credit Suisse First Boston Equity Partners and Managing Director, Aries Advisors; Guy Fish ’94, ’85 MD, Director, Fletcher Spaght; Sam Forman ’95, Medical Director, American Healthways; Chris Koller ’89, CEO, Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island; Sue Berfield Neckes ’87, Senior Vice President, American Healthways; Jon Soderstrom, Managing Director, Yale Office of Cooperative Research; and Susan Stuard ’97, Associate Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Greater New York Hospital Association. Yale SOM Faculty who participated include Stanley J. Garstka, Deputy Dean of the Yale School of Management and Edward H. Kaplan, William N. and Marie A. Beach Professor of Management Sciences & Professor of Public Health.