Personal responsibility for health and wellness and the role that businesses can play will be in the forefront during the third annual healthcare forum sponsored by the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce.
The half-day forum, scheduled for the morning of Oct. 7 at the Tuscany Ballroom of the Peppermill, is expected to draw about 350 people, says Valerie Clark, president of Clark & Associates and a former chair of the chamber's board who has spearheaded creation of the annual forums.
She says speakers will focus on ways that businesses can develop strategies to help control healthcare costs.
"We're all very aware of how complex and how costly our form of healthcare is," Clark says. "How can we make it work to our benefit?"
Among the speakers will be Craig Johnson, who manages wellness and safety programs for Duncan Aviation, a Nebraska company that's been nationally recognized for its employee-wellness programs.
Another speaker, Joe Piscatello, was told by doctors he wouldn't live to be 40 after he underwent emergency bypass surgery at 32.
Today 32 years later he's president of the Institute for Fitness and Health, author of "Take a Load Off Your Heart" and 10 other books, and a nationally known speaker on common-sense steps to improve health and wellness.
Speakers also will include Antonio Linares, M.D., medical director of Anthem Health Solutions, who will review the trends in health costs, and Katie Strong Hays, executive director of the Congressional and Public Affairs Division of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Hays, who also spoke at the forum last year, will review recent federal regulatory and legislative action on healthcare.
A local viewpoint will come from Mark Crawford, the chief executive officer of Northern Nevada Medical Center; Jim Miller, the president and CEO of Renown Health; and Mike Johnson, vice president of Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center.
Clark says a volunteer committee has been working since January to organize the event.
Cost of the forum is $20 for chamber members and $25 for nonmembers. Doors open at 7 a.m. for registration, exhibits and a continental breakfast, and the forum itself runs from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Register at renosparkschamber.org.
