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Employers expend a significant amount of resources providing health care coverage for their employees. The rising cost of health care is an economic development issue for the entire community. This presentation will include a discussion of some of the key factors driving the cost and quality of health care along with some of the actions that employers must take if there is to be any impact on the cost they bear. Some of the How health benefits can impact the health of concepts discussed will include:  How employers/employer priorities for addressing health care costs employees.  Examples: can partner with the health system to improve health and lower costs  of how employers are working together in other communities to address health Why employers have a shared interest in addressing health care cost and quality  The need for a collaborative approach to health system care in the community  improvement.

About the Presenter:

Ron Whiting is the Executive Director of the Wichita Business Coalition on Health Care. The Coalition is a not-for-profit collaborative organization made up of employers, health plans, hospitals, physicians, and other stakeholders who have joined together to facilitate the identification and pursuit of innovative strategies and initiatives that decrease health care costs and improve health care quality and efficiency in the greater Wichita, Kansas region. Previously Ron operated a strategic health care consultancy, providing consulting services in the areas of strategic planning and new program development. Ron has worked with a wide variety of hospitals, physician groups, funding agencies, and professional organizations. Ron’s work has involved strategic planning for growth, new clinical program development, feasibility analysis, facilitating mergers and acquisitions, and quality improvement strategies. Before moving to the mid-west with his family, Ron was a member of the senior management team of ScrippsHealth, a five hospital, not-for-profit health system in San Diego, California. He was responsible for assisting organizational leaders in creating and implementing strategies to achieve organizational goals and objectives. He also provided leadership and management of the department responsible for data gathering and analysis to guide strategic planning. Before his time with ScrippsHealth, he worked as a consultant with Professional Health Consulting Group, a national company of physician executives who analyzed and managed change for complex not-for-profit healthcare systems throughout the United States. Previously, Ron held a management position at Sharp Healthcare, a large integrated healthcare system in San Diego, California where he was actively involved in managing and leading physician education programs, Sharp’s Integrated Healthcare Consulting Workshops, and physician and management executive education programs. Mr. Whiting has also worked in other organizations, including General Dynamics, Sony Corporation, and the Navy Personnel Research and Development Center. He holds an advanced degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego, California.