Media Advisory: Top regional experts to discuss future of health care reform

By Matthew Biddle

BUFFALO, N.Y. — As the debate over health care reform continues, the region’s top health care leaders will share their insights during a panel discussion hosted by the University at Buffalo School of Management on April 24 on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

What: “After the Affordable Care Act: A Nonpartisan Conversation on the Future of Health Care” will tackle the wide-reaching impact of the Affordable Care Act — and its uncertain future — on patients, medical professionals, employers and taxpayers. Panelists will share their expert insights on the law’s strengths and problems, as well as how any potential repeal could affect Medicaid, prescription drug costs, the individual and employer insurance markets, and the shift toward value-based payment models.

The panel discussion is the inaugural event in the UB School of Management’s Business and Society series and part of its growing portfolio of health care management programs, partnerships and events. The school offers dual and collaborative programs that combine an MBA with another graduate degree in several health-related fields, an Accelerated MBA for Medical Residents and Fellows program, an MBA health care management concentration and a variety of non-credit-bearing programs. 

Who: Moderating the discussion will be Larry Zielinski, who brings 25 years of industry experience, including terms as president of two health care organizations, to his role as executive in residence for health care administration in the UB School of Management.

The panel will feature the following experts:

• Michael W. Cropp, MD, EMBA ’03, president and CEO, Independent Health
• Michael J. Edbauer, DO, president and CEO, Catholic Medical Partners, and chief clinical officer, Catholic Health
• David P. Hughes, MD, executive vice president and chief medical officer, Kaleida Health
• Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health policy and clinical professor in the UB Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

When: 8-9:30 a.m. on April 24.

Where: Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, 700 Ellicott St. in Buffalo.

Media Opportunities: Members of the media are invited to capture audio, photos and video during the discussion. An onstage mult box will help ensure high-quality audio throughout the presentation. In addition, Zielinski and the panelists will be available after the event for one-on-one interviews.