Surfing the Tsunami: Riding the Wave of Integrated Health Care
The timely subject of this year’s IRA Stevens Memorial conference is the rapidly changing world of health care. Why characterize health care reform as a tsunami? According to Dr. Amy Kohn, MHA’s CEO, “The word ‘tsunami’ conveys the immensity of the impact these changes have on the way we think about and provide health care. It is a challenging situation, but we will ride that wave to a place where we provide better services more efficiently, ultimately benefiting the people that we serve.” The event will unfold on Friday, September 7, 2012 from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Tarrytown, NY. The conference is co-sponsored by Hudson Health Plan and the Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health.
The day’s speakers, panels and workshops will be of critical interest to individuals who receive mental health services, their friends, family members and advocates, as well as to treatment providers and policy planners.
Attendees will have the privilege of hearing inside-the-beltway news from Kathy Reynolds, MSW, ACSW, of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, who has been in the forefront of the health care reform conversation. Kathy will share her expectations and insights about the impact of national decisions on local services. The Patient Centered Health Home (PCHH) is a concept which has been in the forefront of health reform. Alexander Blount, EdD, the Director for Integrated Primary Care at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, will discuss the impact of this model on behavioral health care and the evolving role of care managers.
In the afternoon, we are looking forward to a thought-provoking conversation about the optimal role of medication in treatment of mental health conditions. To discuss their views and how their own practices have evolved over time are: Dan Fisher, MD, PhD, Executive Director, National Empowerment Center; Pablo Sadler, MD, MPH, Mental Health Medical Director, Bureau of Mental Health, NYC Dept of Health and Mental Hygiene; Lloyd Sederer, MD, Medical Director, NYS Office of Mental Health and Sandy Steingard, MD, Medical Director, Howard Center. Our own Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health, Grant Mitchell, MD, will moderate. Other conference speakers include: Georganne Chapin, President and CEO, Hudson Health Plan; Jody Silver, Director, Consumer Affairs, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and Michael F. Hogan, PhD, Commissioner, NYS Office of Mental Health.
The conference honors Ira S. Stevens, (1922-1976), a former President of MHA and a gifted leader, who supported new concepts and ideas for improving mental health and fighting the stigma of mental illness. MHA is the premier mental health agency in Westchester, serving more than 20,000 adults and children each year through advocacy, community education and direct services, with priority given to those with limited access to other resources.
Registration is $65 per person: $60 per person for groups of four or more registering together. To register, visit www.mhawestchester.org or contact Chuck Rosenow at 914-345-5900 ext. 292 or rosenowc@mhawestchester.org.
