Top regional experts to discuss future of health care management

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.

“After the Affordable Care Act: A Nonpartisan Conversation on the Future of Health Care” will tackle the wide-reaching impact the potential repeal of the Affordable Care Act — often referred to as Obamacare — could have on patients, medical professionals, employers and taxpayers. 

Larry Zielinski, executive in residence for health care administration in the UB School of Management, will moderate the event, which will be held at the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, 700 Ellicott St. in Buffalo. Zielinski previously spent 25 years in the industry, including terms as president of two health care organizations.

The inaugural event in the UB School of Management’s Business and Society series, the panel discussion will feature the following experts:

• Michael W. Cropp, MD, EMBA ’03, president and CEO, Independent Health. A board-certified physician with more than 25 years’ experience in medicine, Cropp leads Independent Health as it delivers products and services that improve the health of almost 375,000 customers and is consistently recognized nationally for excellence in quality, service and innovation.
• Michael J. Edbauer, DO, president and CEO, Catholic Medical Partners (CMP), and chief clinical officer, Catholic Health. At CMP, Edbauer oversees a network of more than 1,000 physicians and five institutional member hospitals. In addition, he is responsible for system-wide care management and furthering the integration between Catholic Health and CMP.
• David P. Hughes, MD, executive vice president and chief medical officer, Kaleida Health. An accomplished physician, business owner, entrepreneur and engineer, Hughes focuses on physician relations, business development and clinical strategies for Kaleida, the region’s largest health care provider.
• Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health policy and clinical professor in the UB Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. A nationally recognized authority on medicine and outspoken advocate for the uninsured and affordable health coverage, Nielsen advises UB leadership, faculty and staff on health care reform to prepare them to lead the transformation of health care delivery in Western New York.

The panel discussion is part of the UB School of Management’s growing portfolio of health care management programs, partnerships and events. The school also 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.

The event will begin at 7:30 a.m. with a continental breakfast, followed by the panel discussion from 8-9:30 a.m. Register by April 20 at mgt.buffalo.edu/healthcarepanel17. For more information, contact Larry Zielinski at ljzielin@buffalo.edu or 716-645-2305.