Orange County Business Council Hosts Diverse Panel of Healthcare Experts

Health experts in O.C. agree that collaboration is the key to serving county’s growing population and creating positive health outcomes

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 this past August in Newport Beach.

Moderated by Annette Walker, president of City of Hope Orange County, 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; Dr. Todd Newton, medical director and chief of staff at Southern California Permanente Medical Group of Orange County; 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 hiring those with backgrounds outside of healthcare, such as the tech sector, 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: serving the community. In terms of collaborating with the Orange County workforce for the purpose of employee retention, panelists encouraged employers to include healthcare providers when building out employee benefits programs.

Jena Jensen, VP, chief advocacy and public policy officer at Children’s Hospital Orange County (CHOC) and past chair of OCBC’s Board of Directors served as emcee. The 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.

For over 25 years, Orange County Business Council 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, healthcare, manufacturing, municipalities, nonprofit, real estate, technology, tourism, transportation, real estate and utilities.

For more information, visit ocbc.org.