Governor Pat Quinn to Keynote Midwest Business Group on Health Employer Conference
Event to focus on efforts to reduce incidence and effects of COPD across Illinois
Media Consultant: Cary Conway
CHICAGO – To help the Illinois employer community assist employees with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) in better managing their condition and providing tools to support at-risk populations, the non-profit Midwest Business Group on Health is hosting an educational program on July 17 in Chicago. Governor Pat Quinn, State of Illinois, will provide the opening keynote around the importance of respiratory health. Employers are focused on efforts to prevent and control COPD as it is the third leading cause of death in the U.S., killing more American women than breast cancer and diabetes combined.
“For employers, COPD can be extremely expensive with impacts including lost work time, increased costs, higher health care utilization, absenteeism, productivity losses and increased disability claims,” said Larry Boress, MBGH president and CEO. “Helping organizations identify that it is often misdiagnosed and that the problem may be larger than they expect, is an important first step to helping them better manage those at risk.”
In addition to Governor Quinn, speakers include:
- Jill Marie Chapman, Sr. Director of Benefits, OfficeMax
- Barry S. Eisenberg, Executive Director, ACOEM
- Opella Finley Ernest, MD, VP Chief Medical Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois
- Craig Kephart, Executive Director, Growth & Development, COPD Foundation
- Carrie Nelson, MD, MS, FAAFP, Medical Director-Outpatient Care Management, Advocate Physician Partners
- Brian Sweet, Executive Director, US Payer & Real World Evidence, AstraZeneca
Additional details and registration information for this employer educational program, complimentary for human resources and health benefits professionals, can be found on MBGH’s website.
About the Midwest Business Group on Health
With more than 120 member organizations, the Midwest Business Group on Health is one of the nation’s leading non-profit business groups of large, self-insured public and private employers serving as a catalyst for community initiatives to improve the quality, safety and cost-effectiveness of the health care delivery system. MBGH is an essential resource to support employers in effectively managing their health benefits through high-quality education, research, networking and benchmarking. MBGH is a founding member of the National Business Coalition on Health.
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