Health Connect South is returning on September 17 to the Georgia Aquarium with a powerful line-up of speakers, including a keynote by Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Dr. Oz will be joined by former U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services, Tom Price, MD, for an exclusive session on the future of American healthcare.

There will be speakers and panel discussions on various topics covering healthcare innovation, policy, research, funding, access and workforce. Below is a list of the sessions and speakers.

Highlight of Speaker Line-Up

• Dr. Mehmet Oz – Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
• Dr. Susan Monarez –  Director, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
• Tom Price, MD – 23rd Secretary of Health and Human Services
• Corwin Harper – President, Kaiser Permanente, Georgia.

Moderator-Led Panel Sessions

CEO Roundtable – The Innovation Agenda: Partnering for Health System Transformation

• Moderator: Caylee Noggle, President & CEO, Georgia Hospital Association
• Participants: Matt Hanley, MD (President & CEO, Northeast Georgia Health System)
• Vicki Lewis (President & CEO, Coffee Regional Medical Center)
• Jeff Myers (President & CEO, Vitruvian Health Care System)

Funding the Future – University Research in Action

• Moderator: Jimmy Childre, Jr., FACHE (Former Chair & CEO, Washington County Regional Medical Center; President, Childre Ford, Inc.)
• Speakers: Mary Klotman, MD (EVP for Health Affairs & Dean, Duke University School of Medicine);
• Tim Lieuwen, PhD (EVP for Research, Georgia Tech);
• Tim Denning, PhD (President & CEO, Georgia Research Alliance)

Advancing Healthcare Through Public–Private Partnerships

• Moderator: Cheryl Preheim (Anchor, 11Alive News, NBC Atlanta)
• Speakers: Candice L. Saunders, FACHE (CEO & President, Wellstar Health System);
• David C. Hess, MD (Dean, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University)
• Russell T. Keen, EdD (President, Augusta University)

Women First – Collaborating for Better Cancer Care

• Moderator: Kristin Higgins, MD (Chief Clinical Officer, City of Hope Atlanta)
• Speakers: Debora Bruno, MD (Medical Oncologist, City of Hope);
• Steven McCune, MD (Oncology Service Line Physician Lead, Wellstar Health System);
• Lynn Durham, EdD (President & CEO, Georgia CORE)

Increasing Access and Improving Outcomes Across the Southeast

• Moderator: Dean Anason (Editor-in-Chief, Atlanta Business Chronicle)
• Speakers: Nkem Chukwumerije, MD, MPH, FACP (President & Exec. Medical Director, Southeast Permanente Medical Group)
• Kathryn Lawler (CEO, St. Joseph’s Mercy Care)
• Shannon Sale (EVP & CAO, Grady Health System)

Healthcare Investments: The State of Healthcare Funding

• Moderator: Austin Poole (General Partner, BIP Ventures)
• Speakers: Paul Weintraub (SVP, Coker)
• Bob Crutchfield (Managing Director, 1824 Health Ventures & Mainsail Venture Funds);
• Alexander Despo (Director, Union Square Advisors, LLC)

Catalysts for Change: Philanthropy’s Role in the Health Ecosystem

• Moderator: Donald Mueller (President & CEO, Siskin Children’s Institute)
• Speakers: Jonathan Simons, MD (Chief Science Officer & Medical Director, Marcus Foundation);
• Kristy Klein Davis (President & CEO, Georgia Health Initiative)
• Joselyn Baker (President, Grady Health Foundation)

The Partnership Prescription: Innovating Personalized Medicine

• Moderator: Ellen Donahue-Dalton (Chief Growth Officer, VillageMD)
• Speakers: Chris Spears (Founder, OrderlyWellness);
• Joni Collins, DMS, PA‑C, CAC (Founder, Twelve Twenty Eight);
• Diane Koontz, CEO Fleets Bay Consulting

The Workforce Ahead: Building Healthcare’s Future Together

• Moderator: Deep Shah, MD (Owner/Operator & Physician, Gwinnett Clinic)
• Speakers: Shane Jackson (President, Jackson Healthcare)
• Neil L. Pruitt, Jr (Chairman & CEO, PruittHealth)
• Joon Lee, MD (CEO, Emory Healthcare & EVP Health Affairs, Emory University)

Innovation and the Changing Face of Healthcare Delivery (ACHE Panel)

• Moderator: Greg Jungles (HealthTech Startup Catalyst, ATDC)
• Speakers: Moses Ike (Principal, Catalyst by Wellstar)
• Jesse Goodwin, PhD (Chief Innovation Officer, Medical University of South Carolina); Chris Lee (Chairman, CEO & Co-founder, Huxley Medical)

Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

• Moderator: Sweta Sneha, PhD (Founder & Chair, Digital Health Transformations, KSU)
• Speakers: Charles Elliott (Head of Industry Architects, Google)
• Josh Hargraves, MD (Divisional President, ApolloMD)
• Sumayah Rahman (Director of AI & ML, Cedar)

Partnerships in Public Health: Bridging Agencies and Communities for Impact

• Moderator: Darcie Johnston (Principal Deputy Director, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)
• Speaker: Thomas J. Engels (Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS)

With over 1,000 senior health leaders in attendance, Health Connect South stands as the largest face‑to‑face healthcare leadership convening in the Southeast.

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