NEW YORK, July 10, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Willis North America, a unit of Willis Group Holdings plc (NYSE: WSH ), the global risk advisor, insurance and reinsurance broker, today announced the 18 th Annual Health Care Forum, July 15-16, in Chicago, IL.
Willis is an industry leader in the health care arena, with more than 6,000 clients and 300 dedicated health care professionals across North America. The Practice helps organizations across all segments of the health care industry assess and minimize risk, including: hospitals, health systems, physician groups, long-term care, managed care and miscellaneous health care facilities. Willis has a deep commitment to this sector and was the first major broker to establish a health care practice.
The Willis Annual Health Care Forum brings together more than 150 health care professionals for both educational and networking opportunities. This year's theme, Evolution or Revolution? Challenges and Strategies in 2014 and Beyond , focuses on helping health care organizations address new challenges facing the industry and developing strategies to effectively manage the new landscape created by health care reform.
Commenting on the upcoming conference, Frank Castro, National Health Care Practice Leader, Willis North America, said, "Health care organizations are facing an extremely complex environment as they navigate the health care reform landscape. The Annual Forum provides an opportunity for risk management and insurance professionals to learn about some of the challenges health care organizations are facing and ways in which their peers have addressed these challenges, as well as other solutions Willis is developing. Willis is proud to be a true risk management partner to the health care industry and we are committed to delivering valuable solutions to help clients meet the challenges and risks faced as a result of health care reform."
Willis health care experts and leading industry specialists will present a variety of educational sessions, including:
- Price Transparency and Its Role in the Delivery of Health Care Reform: In this keynote session, Micah Weinberg , Senior Policy Advisory, Bay Area Council, will moderate a panel on the role of transparency with an emphasis on the effects on cost and value. Panelists include: Larry Boress , President & CEO, Midwest Business Group on Health; Amy Fahrenkopf , VP of Clinical Strategy and Design, Castlight Health; Peter McCanna , EVP & COO, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare; and Jim Smith , Senior VP, The Camden Group.
- Consolidating Insurance Programs (With an Emphasis on Captives and Risk Retention Groups) in an Era of M&A: Moderated by Brad Norrick, Willis Health Care Practice, this panel will review the program consolidation timeline and decision-making from pre-acquisition through program optimization including communication with stakeholders. Panelists include Phil Foster , Senior VP and Chief Risk Officer, Catholic Health Initiatives; Carolyn McKenna , General Counsel, Western Connecticut Health System, Inc.; Julie Robertson , Chair, Insurance Department, Partner, Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP; and Bruce Whitmore , Willis Global Captive Practice.
- Technology Vendor Contract Risk Management: Tom Srail , Technology, Media and Telecommunications Industry Leader, Willis North America will lead a discussion on technology vendors in the health care space, focusing on best practices, insurance requirements, indemnification provisions and emerging technologies (such as mobile application developers and cloud computing providers).
Individuals can stay up-to-date on the 18 th Annual Willis Health Care Forum by following us on WillisWire to hear more from our scheduled speakers http://blog.willis.com/2014/06/checkup-time-f...essionals/
Click here for the full conference program.
About Willis
Willis Group Holdings plc is a leading global risk advisor, insurance and reinsurance broker. With roots dating to 1828, Willis operates today on every continent with more than 18,000 employees in over 400 offices. Willis offers its clients superior expertise, teamwork, innovation and market-leading products and professional services in risk management and transfer. Our experts rank among the world's leading authorities on analytics, modelling and mitigation strategies at the intersection of global commerce and extreme events. Find more information at our website, www.willis.com , our leadership journal, Resilience , or our up-to-the-minute blog on breaking news, WillisWire . Across geographies, industries and specialisms, Willis provides its local and multinational clients with resilience for a risky world.
Media: Colleen McCarthy +1 212 915-8307 Investors: Peter Poillon +1 212-915-8084
