2022 HEALTH CARE FORUM PANELISTS AGREE ON STRONGER COLLABORATION

Orange County Business Council hosts diverse panel of health care experts IRVINE, CA (August 10, 2022)—Physicians and leaders representing a spectrum of Orange County health care providers discussed innovations in patient wellness, health equity and critical issues impacting the industry at the Orange County Business Council (OCBC) “Embracing Change in Health Care” 2022 Health Care Forum held August 4 in Newport Beach. Moderated by City of Hope, Orange County President Annette Walker, panelists included President and Chief Executive Officer of MemorialCare Barry Arbuckle, Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer for Providence Southern California Dr. Susan Huang, Vice President and Chief Digital Officer for Hoag Kathy Azeez-Narain, Medical Director and Chief of Staff at Southern California Permanente Medical Group of Orange County Dr. Todd Newton, and Chief Strategy Officer for UCI Health Tatyana Popkova. Panelists discussed the role of healthcare benefits in workforce retention, how giving patients a voice in developing programs and services is one way to shape health equity, and how backgrounds outside of healthcare, such as high-tech, are a signal as to how the industry is focusing on innovation. Panelists also agreed that if there was a silver lining to the pandemic it was seeing how the healthcare industry in Orange County came together for one purpose—to serve the community. In terms of collaborating with the Orange County workforce for the purpose of employee retention, panelists encouraged employers to include them—healthcare providers—when building out employee benefits programs. Jena Jensen, VP, Chief Advocacy and Public Policy Officer at CHOC and past Chair of OCBC’s Board of Directors served as emcee. Title sponsor of the 2022 Health Care Forum was City of Hope, Orange County. Gold sponsors included Hoag, Kaiser Permanente, MemorialCare, and UCI Health while Providence Healthcare was the silver sponsor. About Orange County Business Council For over 25 years, Orange County Business Council (OCBC) has been representing and promoting the region’s business community together with government and academia to enhance Orange County’s economic development. The Council’s core initiatives include advocating for adequate investment in regional and statewide infrastructure, education development that leads to a competitive workforce, advocating for a supply and range of housing, and developing pro-business solutions that lead to economic growth. Member organizations include  businesses and local organizations representing a diverse cross section of industries including biomedical, construction, education, financial services, health care, manufacturing, municipalities, nonprofit, real estate, technology, tourism, transportation, real estate and utilities. For more information, visit www.ocbc.org. Photo credit: © Tsutsumida Pictures MEDIA CONTACT:  Lizz Mishreki, APR  Vice President of Communications, Orange County Business Council  [email protected]