Health Care Thought Leaders Converge at MHA Summit

During a tumultuous time in health care, stakeholders, thought leaders, and industry experts from throughout the field gathered earlier this month to share insights and potential solutions at the Managed Health Care Associates Inc (MHA) 14th Annual Business Summit.

The summit connected more than 1400 attendees from various industry settings, including long-term care pharmacies, specialty pharmacies, and home infusion pharmacies.

“Our main goal is to provide fresh information and expert insights that help our members address key challenges and opportunities in their business models,” said Erik Halstom, vice president of MHA Specialty Pharmacy Solutions. “Our members serve complex markets, and are keenly interested in understanding trends that affect the delivery of care, and changing roles and responsibilities, regardless whether they are active in the long-term care, home infusion, or specialty pharmacy market.”

The summit was highlighted by the general session, which featured award-winning journalist Chris Wallace, host of FOX News Sunday, and best-selling author and inspirational speaker Hal Elrod, in addition to the annual state of the industry address from MHA President Michael J. Sicilian. The session addressed vital legislative and regulatory issues that may have a significant impact on the health care industry in the year ahead, as attendees shared various insights at the summit’s dozens of breakout sessions and program offerings.

“Our attendees include pharmacy business owners, operators, clinicians, and business partners, so everyone comes away with a different perspective,” Halstrom said. “Most importantly, the members benefit by hearing from national thought leaders and business experts, regarding industry trends, as well as approaches and solutions that can help them provide optimum care while managing their businesses more effectively.”

With health care reform potentially looming, gaining insight on federal and state legislation and the potential impact on the delivery of pharmacy services in various sites of care is vital to overcoming the various hurdles new legislation may present. To meet these challenges, the MHA summit featured sessions on the next era in health reform, the transforming customer environment, pharma market trends, privacy and cybersecurity, and key trends in home infusion and specialty pharmacy, among a host of other topics.

“We also provide expert speakers to help our members make sense of key legislative and regulatory issues impacting their business,” Halstrom noted. “In addition, all of our attendees are interested in networking. These interactions increase opportunities with our business partners and allow for our members to explore innovative technologies, contracting solutions, and capitalize on new business ventures.”

With key sessions on clinical therapy management programs and how to enhance business via Six Sigma thinking, the summit provided meaningful opportunities to help health care professionals develop strategies and improve their knowledge of emerging trends in pharmacy.

With more than 1400 attendees from various industry settings, including long-term care pharmacies, specialty pharmacies, and home infusion pharmacies in attendance, the summit is positioned to play a key role in the development of potential solutions to the challenges brought by a tectonic shift in the health care system.

“MHA holds an enviable seat in the health care transaction model. We focus on listening to our members’ needs, business issues and concerns, to develop or establishing access to solutions, software and services that target those needs,” Halstrom said. “We have an active senior management team that networks constantly in the health care sector. These initiatives, coupled with our extensive corporate reach into pharmaceutical, medical and business products and services, provides us with a unique perspective and enables us to establish relationships and develop solutions with leading edge companies.”