Day 1:

MHA kicked off our Annual Meeting with special thanks to our sponsors!

Christine Schuster, RN, president and CEO of Emerson Health and immediate-past MHA Board Chair, welcomed the crowd to Boston. We then welcomed our first keynote speaker, Kim Lear, founder of Inlay Insights, who discussed the future of work from a generational perspective.

MHA’s President and CEO Steve Walsh took the stage with three leaders who are helping write the next chapter of our commonwealth (from left to right): Secretary Yvonne Hao from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development, Secretary Lauren Jones from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, and Secretary Kate Walsh from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

Our final panel of the day centered around the future of nursing, and featured experts from across the state (from left to right) Nancy Gaden, RN from Boston Medical Center,  Joan Vitello, RN from UMass Chan Medical School, Terry Hudson-Jinks, RN from Tufts Medical Center, Joanne Fucile, RN from Spaulding Rehabilitation Cambridge, and Al Campbell, RN from Winchester Hospital.  

During our dinner program, MHA was honored to present its Health & Hospital Hero award to Representative John Lawn and Senator Cindy Friedman, co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. Rep. Lawn and Sen. Friedman work tirelessly every day to improve the lives of patients and caregivers everywhere.

Day 2

Day 2 began with the presentation of the Stephen J Hegarty Award to Dr. James Fanale, former CEO of Care New England. Dr. Laurie Glimcher, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute spoke to the audience about Dr. James Fanale’s advocacy on behalf of patients, which has intensified following his lung cancer diagnosis.

Dr. Uché Blackstock took the stage as they day’s keynote speaker, fresh on the heels of her book release “Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine.”

We were honored to be joined by Governor Maura Healey, who delivered a special address to the annual meeting crowd on Friday morning.

“I want to thank you for your leadership, your persistence, your commitment to making our healthcare organizations a shining example of a more just and inclusive society,” the Governor said. “You also do so at a level of excellence that sets the state apart on the global stage and I take great pride in our Massachusetts healthcare system.”

The Future of Health Equity panel featured MHA’s Izzy Lopes, Tom Sands from Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals, Lynnette Watkins, M.D., from Cooley Dickinson Hospital, and Michael Curry, Esq. from the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers

Our Annual Meeting Emcee, Tevin Wooten, held a discussion on the intersection of climate change and healthcare with Massachusetts Department of Public Health Commissioner Robert Goldstein, MD, and Mass General Brigham’s Paul Biddinger, MD.

The Future of Innovation panel focused on understanding and embracing disruption in the healthcare world, and featured business leaders (from left to right) John Halamka, MD, of Mayo Clinic Platform, Daryl Tol of General Catalyst, Deborah DiSanzo of Best Buy Health, and David Fairchild, MD of CVS Health.  

The Boston Globe’s Victoria McGrane sat down with NPR’s Domenico Montanaro for a lively discussion on the future of politics, focusing on the impending 2024 presidential election and the potential repercussions for healthcare.

Our last segment of the day featured our signature CEO roundtable. The discussion about the future of leadership was facilitated by The Boston Business Journal‘s Doug Banks, and featured (from left to right) Cape Cod Healthcare’s Michael Lauf, Heywood Healthcare’s Rozanna Penney, Mass General Brigham’s Dr. Anne Klibanski, and Massachusetts Health Policy Commission’s David Seltz.

We look forward to seeing you at MHA’s 2025 Annual Meeting!