Florida Blue President and CEO Pat Geraghty called on leaders from throughout the state and across the health care industry, starting with those at his own company, to “commit ourselves to making a change” and to enhance organizations’ ability to “deliver on the promise of improved quality, cost and access” of health care for all Floridians.

Geraghty made his comments Friday as keynote speaker at the inaugural Florida State University Business of Healthcare Summit. The event attracted an overflow crowd that featured more than 200 representatives of the business, academic, nonprofit and health care sectors for a one-day forum that addressed the industry’s most pressing workforce, policy, financial and technology issues.

“Let’s be honest: It is way too costly to get health care in the United States,” Geraghty said, then pointed out significant disparities in quality of care. “Those of us who are here today have different positions in this health care equation, and we must commit ourselves to making a change.”

He challenged industry members to envision a system that delivers, in an affordable way, “the right care in the right setting at the right time.”

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The Florida State University College of Business is bringing together health care leaders from throughout Florida and the U.S. for a comprehensive one-day forum to address the industry’s most pressing workforce, policy, financial and technology issues. 

The Business of Healthcare Summit, scheduled for Jan. 26 at the Augustus B. Turnbull Conference Center, will examine health care operations in the state and nation from the perspective of hospitals, private practices, health systems, policy boards and other professional organizations.  

It will feature executives from Advent Health, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Hospital Association, The Garner Group, Health Advocates Network, Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Synthes medical-device subsidiary, Memorial Healthcare System, health care IT services provider Ruvos, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare and VITAS Healthcare. 

College of Business alumni Kevin Little, CEO of Health Advocates Network, and Alex Fernandez, CFO of VITAS Healthcare, will join the panel, along with Doug Tatum, entrepreneur in residence at FSU’s Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship. 

FSU President Richard McCullough and Michael Hartline, dean of the College of Business, are scheduled to provide welcome comments. McCullough has overseen the launch of the FSU Health initiative, which includes $125 million in state funding to build a new academic health center on the campus of project partner Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. 

“Florida State University is eager to take a leadership role in helping health care practitioners and administrators understand emerging issues, solve problems and benefit from discoveries,” McCullough said. “This inaugural Business of Healthcare Summit is an excellent example of the concerted initiatives we’ll undertake as we strive to transform health care delivery, education and research as well as business operations in Florida and across the nation.” 

Hartline has emphasized plans to create more courses and programs that underscore the business of health care. That includes a new MBA specialization in health care management. 

“This summit will thoroughly explore some of the most crucial topics in health care across our state, and we’re delighted with the response we’ve received from leaders in various sectors,” he said. “These executives join us in their commitment to solving problems and seizing opportunities as health care becomes an increasingly urgent component of our society and of our college’s programs and curriculum.” 

“Florida State University is eager to take a leadership role in helping health care practitioners and administrators understand emerging issues, solve problems and benefit from discoveries.”

— Richard McCullough, FSU president 

Event coordinator Blake Renfro, the college’s director of business development, said the summit aims to, among other things, trumpet FSU’s work “in trying to solve critical issues,” including in health care. He noted research from faculty members including Matthew Baucum, an assistant professor in the Department of Business Analytics, Information Systems and Supply Chain, who continues to deepen his expertise in machine learning, health care analytics and insight on improved patient treatment. 

Renfro said he sees FSU and the summit as “the conduit bringing together the private sector, health care, government and academia to impact the quality of health in the state of Florida.” 

The event will present four themes based on feedback from leaders in Florida health care, government and academia — talent and workforce planning; data and technology; investment and financial operations; and public health policy and regulation. 

The significance of the latter theme prompted event organizers to schedule the summit in January to coincide with Florida’s 2024 legislative session, which begins Jan. 9 and is scheduled to run through March 8.  

“We want to have some thoughtful conversations around, ‘What are the barriers that hospitals are facing? How can we relieve some of the pressure on the health system?’” said Renfro. “How do providers deliver the best possible care, with limited resources? How can they do that in a cost-effective manner?” 

Renfro said Business of Healthcare summits will continue in future years at locations throughout the state. 

“We want to establish a presence and a forum in cities and regions across Florida,” he said. “Health care will remain an urgent topic regardless of whether you’re living or working in Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Pensacola or Tallahassee.” 

The attendance fee is $125 per person, including lunch and a light breakfast. The fee for attending via online stream is $75. Visit businessofhealthcare.fsu.edu to register. 

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