Press release from Mission Health:
Marc Katz, MD, Joins Healthcare Technology Conference as Headliner
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (April 30, 2014) – Mission Health is pleased to announce that Marc Katz, MD, one of Bon Secours Heart & Vascular Institute’s leading cardiothoracic surgeons, is joining the inaugural H2T Healthcare Quality Conference as a keynote speaker.
Dr. Katz joins best-selling author Lee Woodruff and healthcare technology and patient experience expert Bridget Duffy, MD, as the headline speakers at the conference.
“Dr. Katz is a pioneer in the field of robotic heart surgery and the perfect example of a frontline clinician who is revolutionizing the way technology can enhance healthcare and improve patient experience,” said Ronald A. Paulus, MD, President and CEO of Mission Health. “Dr. Katz is a trailblazer we all should be watching.”
Dr. Katz serves as Chief Medical Officer of the Bon Secours Heart & Vascular Institute, which spans seven hospitals in central and eastern Virginia and involves more than 50 cardiac physicians. He also continues an active practice in adult cardiac surgery specializing in minimally invasive and robotic approaches, plus surgery for congestive heart failure and placement of ventricular assist devices.
In addition to mitral valve repairs and other cardiothoracic procedures, Dr. Katz has performed almost 200 heart transplants during the course of his career, including the first dual heart-kidney transplant in the eastern United States.
“Mission Health and Rock Health are packing high quality content into every aspect of this unique conference,” said Tom Cosgrove, co-founder of New Voice Strategies. “With Dr. Katz joining the already impressive lineup of keynote speakers, the inaugural H2T Healthcare Quality conference promises to be a powerful event showcasing the role of technology in improving patient experience.”
Woodruff is co-author of In an Instant, a compelling and humorous chronicle of her family’s journey to recovery following her husband Bob’s injury from a roadside bomb in Iraq. She is also a contributor for CBS This Morning.
Dr. Duffy currently is Chief Medical Officer for Vocera Communications and previously served as Chief Patient Experience Officer for the Cleveland Clinic. Known for her expertise in improving healthcare through the patient’s eyes, she will be speaking on Humanizing Healthcare with Technology.
Additional guest speakers for the conference include thought leaders from Geisinger Health System, HealthTap, Mission Health, New Voice Strategies and Rock Health.
Mission Health, an Asheville, N.C.-based health system, is hosting the inaugural H2T Healthcare Quality Conference in partnership with Rock Health and Vocera Communications, Inc., on Monday and Tuesday, June 9-10 at the world-renowned Omni Grove Park Inn, a AAA Four-Diamond Hotel ranked one of the Top 20 Hotel Spas in North America (Travel + Leisure) and one of the Top Golf Resorts in the world (Condé Nast), located in Asheville.
More than 200 hospital and healthcare CEOs, chief quality officers, front-line clinicians and technology leaders are expected to attend the H2T Healthcare Quality Conference. The conference will address topics like the hospital room of the future, how to make technology support – not impede – patient clinician communication, implementing new technologies that empower patients to lead their own care and leveraging technology to improve communication and patient engagement.
About Mission Health
Mission Health, based in Asheville, N.C., is the state’s sixth-largest health system and the region’s only not-for-profit, independent community hospital system governed and managed exclusively in western North Carolina. Mission Health is the only health system in America to be recognized as one of the nation’s Top 15 Health Systems for three consecutive years (2012, 2013 and 2014) by Thomson Reuters and Truven Health Analytics, respectively.
Mission Health, which traces its roots in the region back to 1885, operates six hospitals, numerous outpatient and surgery centers, post-acute care provider CarePartners, and the region’s only dedicated Level II trauma center. Its medical staff consists of more than 1,000 physicians and is certified in more than 50 medical specialties and sub-specialties. Mission Health has seven Centers of Excellence: Cancer, Heart, Mission Children’s Hospital, Neurosciences, Orthopedics, Trauma and Women’s Health. Mission Hospital, located in Asheville, is the system’s flagship hospital and is licensed for 730 beds. It is the regional referral center for tertiary and quaternary care. It also includes Mission Children’s Hospital – the region’s only children’s hospital. Other Mission Health member hospitals include Angel Medical Center in Franklin, Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine, Highlands-Cashiers Hospital in Highlands, McDowell Hospital in Marion and Transylvania Regional Hospital in Brevard. With approximately 10,600 employees and 2,000 volunteers, Mission Health is dedicated to improving the health and wellness of the people of western North Carolina. For more information, please visit
mission-health.org.
About Rock Health
Rock Health is powering the future of the digital health ecosystem, bringing together the brightest minds across disciplines to build better solutions. Rock Health funds and supports startups building the next generation of technologies transforming healthcare. Rock Health partners include Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Boehringer Ingelheim, Fenwick & West, GE, Genentech, Harvard Medical School, Kaiser Permanente, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Mayo Clinic, Mohr Davidow Ventures, Montreux Equity Partners, NEA, Ogilvy Public Relations, Qualcomm Life, UnitedHealth Group, and UCSF.
About Vocera
Vocera empowers integrated, intelligent communication for mission-critical mobile environments in healthcare, hospitality, energy, retail, education and more. One of the fastest growing mobile technology companies, Vocera is widely recognized for developing smarter ways to communicate that improve patient and customer satisfaction. Exclusively endorsed by the American Hospital Association, Vocera® Voice Communication, Secure Messaging, and Care Experience solutions are installed in more than 1,000 organizations worldwide. Vocera is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with offices in Tennessee, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit
www.vocera.com and @VoceraCom on Twitter.
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