UB-Based Health Care Industries Association Sets 10th Annual Meeting for March 13

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo-based Health Care Industries Association (HCIA) will celebrate a decade of generating regional economic growth and development during its 10th annual meeting, to be held March 13 in the Buffalo/Niagara Marriott, 1340 Millersport Highway, Amherst.

More than 200 scientists, health-care providers and representatives from business, industry, education and government will attend and participate in lectures, discussions and panels related to the growing and ever-changing health-care industry. The Health Care Industries Association is a nonprofit organization designed to support and promote the regional health-care industry.

Blair Childs, executive vice president for strategic planning and implementation with Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), will deliver the opening keynote address at 8 a.m. His topic will be "How Will the New Administration Affect Your Business?: A Washington Update." AdvaMed is a national trade association and the largest medical-technology association in the world.

Panel discussions from 8:45-10:35 a.m. will include sessions on strategic partnering, due diligence, regulatory update, technology transfer, licensing and business-development assistance.

Following the discussions will be presentations by the UB Business Alliance and the Western New York Technology Development Center.

"Regional Chief Executive Officer Strategies: Expansion Plans and Success in Western New York" will be the topic of the general session and panel of business representatives from 11 a.m. to noon.

Lunch will follow at 12:30 p.m., featuring a speech by Steven A. Spaulding, founding executive director of the Louisville (Ky.) Medical Center Development Corporation.

With almost $2 billion of business investment and the creation of 50,000 net new jobs in the past three years, Louisville has been called "a blueprint for success."

Afternoon panels beginning at 2:10 p.m. will concentrate on recruiting, retaining and motivating first-rate employees in health-care-related businesses; protecting intellectual property on today's information superhighway, and new product development. In another session, representatives of four area businesses will discuss their marketing strategies, new product development and future corporate direction.

Prominent community leaders will discuss their roles and visions for continued growth of Western New York's emerging health-care industry at the general session set for 4:30 p.m.

Speaking at the awards dinner at 6 p.m. will be William F. Allyn, chairman and chief executive officer of Welch Allyn Ventures, L.L.C., a world leader and innovator in medical and dental diagnostics, veterinary medicine, lighting, remote visual inspection and data collection.

Lawrence Jacobs, M.D., Irvin and Rosemary Smith Professor of Neurology in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, will receive the Western New York Health Care Technology/Discovery Award for research that has led to improved treatment of multiple sclerosis.

Jacobs is head of the Jacobs Neurological Institute, Kaleida Health Buffalo General Hospital, and chief of the Baird Multiple Sclerosis Research Center at Kaleida's Millard Fillmore Hospital.

Also receiving the award will be Appro Healthcare Inc., a medical devices company in Buffalo with a business focus of reducing the overall cost and complexity of infusion therapy and cardiac-rhythm management.

Eric Mower and Associates will be presented with the Western New York Health Care Sales and Marketing Award. Receiving the Western New York Health Care Economic Impact Award will be Wilson Greatbatch Ltd./Implantable Capacitor Division. The Humanitarian Award will be given to founding members of HCIA.

State Assemblyman Robin Schimminger, chair of the Assembly Committee on Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry, will receive the special President's Award.

The registration deadline for the event is March 6. The cost of attending the meeting and dinner is $179 for non-HCIA members and $149 for members.

To register, call 829-3888, fax 829-3885 or email weimer@acsu.buffalo.edu.