April 12, 2007
Contact: Bev Pfeifer-Harms
Director of Communications
314.345.5500 office

Health Summit 2007 Focuses on Intersection of Health & Business

St. Louis - - Health Summit 2007, sponsored by Missouri Foundation for Health, explores how businesses of varying sizes are dealing with health care issues in the face of rising costs and a changing health policy landscape.

The day-long Health Summit, entitled "The Intersection of Health And Business," is Thursday, May 24, 2007, 9 am-4 pm, at the Renaissance Grand Hotel in St. Louis. The conference offers breakout and plenary sessions on a variety of topics, and will be of interest to business, nonprofit and health care leaders, as well as policymakers. Participants also can better understand how businesses and nonprofit organizations can work together to address health care costs and improve employee health and wellness.
Speakers to date include: Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA; Roland McDevitt, PhD, director of health research, Research & Innovation Center of Watson Wyatt Worldwide; Celinda Lake, principal of Lake Research Partners; John Holahan, PhD, director, Health Policy Research Center at The Urban Institute; Bianca DiJulio, policy analyst, Health Care Marketplace Project at Kaiser Family Foundation; and Brian Nienaber, vice president of The Tarrance Group.

Sessions will focus on:

• Employer-sponsored insurance trends.
• Pros and cons of health savings accounts and their future health policy implications.
• Newly gathered public opinion data about what matters most to Missourians.
• Outcomes on health and health care issues during the 2007 Missouri Legislative session.
• Benefits and long-term economic impact of workplace wellness programs.
• How companies of various sizes started and maintain effective employee wellness programs, and
• Successful nonprofit partnerships with businesses that are improving the health and well-being of communities.

The registration fee for the conference is $35, which covers meals and materials. Lodging is not included, but special discount rates are available to Health Summit attendees. Registrants must secure lodging at the Renaissance Grand no later than May 4, 2007 to receive the discount.

For more information about "Health Summit 2007: The Intersection of Health and Business," lodging details or to register, visit the MFH website at www.mffh.org, or call 314.345.5573 (toll-free 800.655.5560).

Established in 2000, MFH is the largest non-governmental funder of community health activities in the state. The Foundation is in its sixth year of grantmaking, having issued more than $215 million in grants and awards to date. It is dedicated to serving the uninsured, underinsured and underserved in 84 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis.

###

View other releases.