Media Contact: Deb McCarver, Director of Communications, Illinois Chamber of Commerce
217-522-5512 ext. 244, or dmccarver@ilchamber.org 

ILLINOIS CHAMBER HOSTS JEB BUSH, 230 EXECS REPRESENTING EMPLOYERS, INSURERS, PROVIDERS AT SECOND ANNUAL HEALTHCARE CONFERENCE 

Chicago, IL – Nearly 230 senior executives representing employers, providers, and insurers met in late June in Chicago to hear former Florida Governor Jeb Bush discuss healthcare issues at the second annual Healthcare Costs & Quality Conference held by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce.

The conference agenda addressed issues such as cost and quality concerns for employers and providers, the latest trends in consumer-driven healthcare, health and productivity management as business strategy, and how information technology is changing healthcare.

Keynote speaker Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida, spoke about his successes in cutting taxes and reforming Medicaid through new “Empowered Care” legislation in Florida.  He also gave his perspective on the state of politics today while providing timely insights as the country heads toward the 2008 elections.

Sean Sullivan, CEO and Founder of the Institute for Health & Productivity Management, was the featured speaker at lunch, and other key panelists included David Cordani, President of CIGNA HealthCare, Joanne Disch, PhD, RN, FAAN, Board Chair of the AARP National Board of Directors, and senior healthcare executives of major corporations including Caterpillar, Motorola, Intel, Microsoft, Takeda, and insurers Advocate Health Partners, UnitedHealthcare, and Unicare/Wellpoint.

This was the Illinois Chamber’s second annual healthcare event and drew a record crowd; the organization presents at least two dozen conferences and seminars year-round on other key business topics including manufacturing, infrastructure funding, and numerous employment law and human resources issues. These events represent a strategy to engage more members statewide and strengthen the voice of employers in Illinois.

The Illinois Chamber of Commerce promotes the interests of Illinois business by working to improve the state’s business climate. The Illinois Chamber aggressively advocates legislation and public policies that support economic growth, and is a source of timely and reliable information on matters important to its members, Illinois employers and the general public. The Illinois Chamber also provides effective programs and services to its 3,500+ members to meet their business needs, including immediate answers to tax and human resources concerns and access to training and consulting services.