The Future of Diversity, Inclusion, & Equity in Healthcare Symposium

Tuesday, November 5, 2019
8:00 AM 12:00 PM 08:00 12:00

Enterprise Innovation Institute at Georgia Tech 75 5th St NW, 2nd Floor Atlanta, GA United States (map)

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The Future of Diversity, Inclusion, & Equity in Healthcare Symposium

Tuesday, November 5, 2019 | 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST

Enterprise Innovation Institute at Georgia Tech | The Community Room

75 5th St NW, 2nd Floor | Atlanta, GA 30308

About the Symposium

This symposium brings together best-in-class entrepreneurs, executives, investors, policymakers, researchers, scientists, and technologists drawn from the Atlanta metro region and across the United States. The symposium will focus on the interesting intersection of business, management, strategy, healthcare, and medicine. The emphasis will be on compelling, cross-functional, and inter-disciplinary themes. We will discuss the business case for how diversity, inclusion, and equity --in addition to being beneficial for humanity and society-- are catalytic for decreasing costs, increasing revenues, and ultimately driving higher profits at the organizational level. The event will punctuate the crucial importance of diversity, inclusion, and engagement for modern organizations. Most importantly, we will examine the “why” and “how” D&I are good for patients and their families. This will be an engaging, highly interactive exchange of ideas and information, with the hope and expectation that multiple subsequent collaborations between participants will emerge in the wake of the event.

Why Attend?

LEARN the business case for how diversity, inclusion, and equity are catalytic for decreasing costs, increasing revenues, and ultimately driving higher profits at the organizational level

UNDERSTAND the critical importance of diversity, inclusion, and engagement for modern organizations.

DISCUSS the “why” and “how” D&I are good for patients and their families.

FOCUS on the interesting intersection of business, management, strategy, healthcare, and medicine

NETWORK with best-in-class entrepreneurs, executives, investors, policymakers, researchers, scientists, and technologists drawn from the Atlanta metro region and across the U.S.

Key organizations represented include: American Red Cross, Anthem, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Becton Dickinson, Biogen, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, City of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, Essilor Labs, Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Intermountain Healthcare, J&J, Kaiser Permanente, Medical College of Georgia, Morehouse School of Medicine, Northrop Grumman, Northside Hospital, Northside Hospital System, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, PerkinElmer, Pfizer, Piedmont Healthcare, and University of Georgia.

See Full Program

Distinguished Keynote Address

Dr. William H. Carson, MD

President and Chief Executive Officer of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization

Dr. Willima Carson is the President and CEO of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. (OPDC); a company of the Tokyo-based Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company which reports to Otsuka Holdings. He has a proven track record of successful clinical development of pharmaceutical compounds leading to worldwide regulatory authority approvals and oversees the development of Otsuka’s global compounds. He is responsible for functions leading to the approval of the first digital medicine, Abilify MyCite. He is a board member of OPDC, Avanir and Internet 2. He is Board Chair Emeritus of the Sphinx Organization which promotes diversity in the arts. Dr. Carson is a board-certified psychiatrist and holds an A.B. Degree from Harvard College and a M.D. degree from Case Western Reserve University. He is a member of the American Psychiatric Association, the National Medical Association and the Executive Leadership Council.

Keynote Introduction

Eric Watson

Executive Consultant at The Kaleidoscope Group

Eric is responsible for developing and advising Client Strategy, CDO Coaching, Advisory Board and serving as a Liaison and thought leader for Associations and Conferences. As a credible industry voice and innovator, he is also accountable for market and talent development.

Eric Watson is the former President and CEO of the Carolinas-Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council (CVMSDC), a private, non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, with more than 250 corporate members and 475 certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) members. Watson is responsible for the development and execution of strategy to achieve CVMSDC’s vision and goals of advancing business opportunities between major corporations and minority business enterprises in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Central Virginia.

Watson has 38 years of experience in operations management, including more than 25 years in the field of diversity and inclusion. He has developed strategies that impact business success through creating a vision for managing diversity, designing leadership mentoring programs to promote diversity, and establishing an accountability system for business.

Distinguished Welcoming Address

Julius Pryor III

Chair of the Board of Directors at the Center for Healthcare Innovation

Julius Pryor helps companies leverage Diversity & Inclusion to accelerate innovation and drive business results. He’s held executive roles at Johnson & Johnson (J&J), Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), Russell Athletic, Abbott Labs and Takeda Pharmaceuticals. He was Vice President of Global Diversity at both J&J and Coke. Most recently, Julius served as Head of Innovation, Diversity & Inclusion at biotech leader Genentech. Julius combines a unique vision for the future of D&I, a strong grounding in sales and management, and insights into what works across different industries and sectors. Julius saw the power of diversity to accomplish results during his 26 years of service in the U.S. Navy. He is a U.S. Navy Captain, Surface Warfare Officer and Instructor for the Navy Officer Leadership Development Program. He’s held numerous Navy leadership roles including, Unit Commanding Officer and Fleet Staff Officer. He had the honor of serving on the re-commissioning crew of the historic USS Missouri (BB-63). Julius graduated from Morehouse College and The Williston Northampton School (Easthampton, MA). He sits on the boards of the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership and the Center for Healthcare Innovation. He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, having pledged at the legendary Psi Chapter at Morehouse College. Julius is the author of Thriving in a Disruptive World: 6 Critical Concepts for Navigating the 21st Century.

Distinguished Panelists

Stephan Kang

CEO at Intero Life Sciences & JUNO Metabolomics

Stephan Kang is the founder and CEO of Intero Life Sciences, which is dedicated to building industry solutions in life sciences and healthcare using its advanced bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, and cloud technologies. Stephan’s 20+ years of experience in senior technical leadership roles for world-class tech companies and vision for improving lives through data led him to investigate and develop new paths to solving old problems. To that end, Intero Life Sciences builds and implements impact solutions that help meet the healthcare needs of vulnerable populations and improve food safety and crop yield enhancement through biosurveillance technologies.

Cassandra Cantave, MS

Senior Research Advisor for AARP

Cassandra Cantave, MS, is a Senior Research Advisor for AARP. She has conducted extensive research on issues affecting economically disadvantaged and marginalized populations. Cassandra is passionate about issues that affect women of color, LGBTQ/SGL individuals, young adults, and multicultural populations. She has tackled and helped support advocacy efforts around caregiving, consumer protections, workplace protections, age discrimination, and livable communities. Cassandra is adept at engaging diverse audiences as a lecturer and has an extensive career in the non-profit sector in Washington, DC. Cassandra completed her Master’s degree in Sociology from Howard University. She has also obtained her Bachelor’s in Sociology from SUNY at Buffalo.

Madeleine Hackney, PhD

Associate Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine

Madeleine Hackney holds a BFA in Dance from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, and a Ph.D. in Movement Science from Washington University in St. Louis. Her doctoral work characterized the effects of gender, attention, disease and unfamiliar skills on locomotion by examining backward and dual task gait to gain insight into which tasks need the most rehabilitative emphasis. Then, she proceeded with design and analysis of challenging exercise programs: traditional exercise, Tai Chi and partnered dance & tango classes, designed to improve physical function and quality of life in people with Parkinson Disease, older adults and those with serious mental illness. The research received media coverage in the New York Times, Scientific American, National Public Radio and in Musicophilia, by Oliver Sachs. At the Atlanta VAMC, she has continued to research the effects of adapted tango and FallProof Balance & Mobility Program for older adults with low vision.

CAPT Robin Hunter Buskey, DHSc, MPAS, PA-C

Physician Assistant at Bureau of Prisons

CAPT Robin Hunter Buskey, DHSc, MPAS, PA-C, has been a certified PA for over 30 years, and is a Captain in the U.S. Public Health Service. She is the Southeast Region Advanced Practice Provider and PA representative to the Mid-Level Advanced Practice Provider Advisory Board for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, where she has worked since 2003. Her career has included work in internal medicine, emergency medicine, substance abuse, long-term care and obstetrics and gynecology. Hunter-Buskey has been President of the New York State Society of PAs and President of the PA Foundation (PAF). She also previously served on the Board of the Federation of State Medical Boards and as a member of the North Carolina Medical Board. In 2013, she became a member-at-large on the National Commission for Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

Anita Johnson, MD, FACS

Director of Breast Surgical Oncology at Cancer Treatment Centers of America

Dr. Anita Johnson is a Breast Surgical Oncologist at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA), Atlanta, in Newnan, Georgia and Director of Breast Surgical Oncology. At CTCA®, Dr. Johnson performs oncoplastic surgery, including lumpectomies and skin-sparing and nipple-sparing mastectomies. She also performs breast ultrasounds, needle core biopsies, infusaport placements, genetic testing and counseling, and works with radiation oncologists to treat breast cancer using intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT).

Dr. Johnson earned a medical degree from Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. She then completed a surgery internship/residency at Grady Hospital Department of General Surgery in Atlanta, and subsequently completed a breast surgical oncology fellowship at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Carla Robinson, MBA

Co-Founder and CEO of Canary Telehealth

Carla is Co-Founder and CEO of Canary Telehealth. She is an experienced strategy professional, healthcare entrepreneur, and growth strategist with 16 years of management consulting experience for senior executives at some of the world's largest companies - particularly in healthcare and consumer packaged goods. Carla has significant expertise in health and wellness, including healthcare IT, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter medications, nutrition, food and beverages, and personal care, and animal health. She has extensive experience in developing strategies and implementation plans for organizations with large distributed networks, including retail, hospitality, food service, direct selling, and localized manufacturing. Carla holds an MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.

Dr. Ikeranda Smith, PhD

Author

Ikeranda Smith, PhD, is an enthusiastic leader, scholar practitioner, and social change agent with over a decade of experience serving humanity through efforts that aim to build and strengthen communities by finding innovative ways to integrate psychology in traditional settings. Her areas of interest include gender equity, cross racial dialogue, attachment styles, psychological disorders that are rooted in trauma and building communities that promote safety and healing. As a Coach, Ikeranda is focused on efforts that aim to establish transformational learning experiences that cultivate collective care for individuals who are committed to doing their work. She is committed to helping people remove the barriers that interfere with how they connect with others. As a queer woman of color, Ikeranda is committed to helping individuals gain a better sense of self-efficacy and learn how to engage in amazing connections that foster greater self awareness.

Case Study

Transformation Journeys Worldwide is an inclusion training and consulting firm with a transgender focus. Some of their clients include Home Depot, Sun Life Financial, UPS, Kaiser Permanente, Royal Bank of Canada, the Atlanta Hawks, Cox Communications, Mercedes Benz, Comcast and Centers for Disease Control, among others. Transformation Journeys Worldwide was honored to be chosen as the Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce’s 2018 Small Business of the Year, and to receive the Atlanta Hawks’ 2019 “True Comes in All Colors” Award, in recognition of their cutting-edge inclusion work.

Gabrielle Claiborne

Co-founder of Transformation Journeys Worldwide

Gabrielle has been an out and active transwoman since 2010. She served on the Executive Board of Atlanta Pride for 5 years, and currently sits on the Board of the Out Georgia Business Alliance, the Trans Task Force of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, and on the City of Atlanta’s LGBTQ Mayoral Advisory Council. In 2015, Gabrielle was chosen as Atlanta’s Best Trans Activist, and in 2019 she was acknowledged as the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “Outstanding Voice” Award recipient. In 2018, Gabrielle was featured in Forbes magazine.

Linda Herzer

Co-founder of Transformation Journeys Worldwide

Linda is a strong advocate for the trans community, a seasoned curriculum developer, experienced trainer, and author. She has served as co-facilitator of support groups for transgender youth and adults, and their parents and spouses. Prior to becoming a trans advocate, she had a 10-year career as a public school library media specialist. Throughout those years she developed and taught an extensive research skills curriculum. During seminary, Linda did diversity training while serving as Assistant Director of Women’s Concerns, and designed the curriculum for the school’s course on Women in Ministry. She is a certified Breathwork Coach and a Life Coach.

Opening Remarks

Sidney Welch

Office Managing Partner, Healthcare at Akerman LLP

Sidney Welch is a nationally recognized strategic advisor to large specialty physician practices & associations and technology companies in their cutting edge and traditional healthcare, transactional, and litigation needs.

She serves as strategic regulatory counsel, providing counsel to clients regarding tomorrow's healthcare, including mhealth and digital health ventures; telehealth; precision medicine; artificial intelligence & machine learning; data aggregation & analytics; health information privacy & security; and advanced payment & delivery models. Sidney also works with clients to achieve their business objectives against the constantly developing regulatory environment, including the federal Anti-Kickback Statute; Stark I, II & III; the False Claims Act; HIPAA, HITECH, and Omnibus privacy & security regulations; state self-referral laws, fee-splitting, and corporate practice of medicine. On the transactional front, Sidney provides legal counsel in the merger and acquisition of physician practices and healthcare technology companies, as well as private equity offerings, and joint venture opportunities. She also provides representation in quasi-litigation and litigation matters, including False Claims Act mediation and litigation; Medicare & Medicaid reimbursement issues, investigations, audits, and appeals; state medical licensure investigations and hearing; medical staff bylaws, credentialing, and hearings.

Sidney is a frequent speaker and author in these novel areas of healthcare and technology, has served in leadership roles for the American Bar Association’s Health Law Section and American Health Lawyers Association, and co-chaired healthcare innovation efforts for two national law firms. She holds joint degrees in law and public health and serves as an adjunct professor at the Georgia State University College of Law.

Lucienne M. Ide, MD, PhD

Founder and Chief Health Innovator of Rimidi

Lucienne (Lucie) Ide, M.D., Ph.D., a healthcare innovator and founder of Rimidi, Inc., brings her diverse experiences in medicine, science, venture capital and technology to transforming the delivery of healthcare. Dr. Ide founded Rimidi with the purpose of improving the health of people living with chronic diseases and the healthcare system as a whole. Prior to starting Rimidi in 2012, Dr. Ide worked as a physicist at the National Security Agency, Raytheon Systems Corporation and Monarch Capital Partners, a venture capital firm. She holds a joint M.D. and Ph.D. (pharmacology) degrees from Emory University, and completed her medical training at the University Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Ide serves on the Steering Committee for the Connected Health Inititive which advocates for health policy reform as it relates to technology adoption and payment models. She also serves as a Trustee of Middlebury College in Vermont. Dr. Ide lives in Atlanta with her husband and their four sons.

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