d.health Summit Showcases Disruptive Innovations to Support Successful Aging Now and Into the Future

ROCHESTER, N.Y., May 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Longevity is accelerating. Nearly one-fifth of the U.S. population will be 65 or older by the year 2030. To address this challenge and opportunity, the d.health Summit will convene thought leaders across healthcare, finance, technology and policy on Wednesday, May 10 at the New York Academy of Sciences to exchange ideas and showcase the latest innovations that will help Americans successfully age in place with access to high-quality health and supportive services that protect their dignity, independence and quality of life.

Now in its third year, d.health Summit is designed to foster collaboration among participants and attendees – all aiming to disrupt and optimize aging for the future.

"With more than 10,000 Americans turning 65 every day, we know that our current healthcare system and our country as a whole are not at all prepared for this dramatic demographic shift.  It already creates a tremendous need for skilled labor inputs and exponentially accelerating clinical care costs. We must, therefore, look at innovative technologies as a way to mitigate these personal care challenges and help more Americans safely age in place whenever they wish that," said Summit Co-chair Abraham (Avi) Seidmann, Xerox Professor of Computers & Information Systems, Electronic Commerce; and Operations Management at the Simon Business School.

For the first time, the University of Rochester-developed Summit will be co-hosted by West Health, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to enabling seniors to successfully age in place, with access to high-quality, affordable health and support services that preserve and protect their dignity, quality of life and independence.

Delivering this year's keynote address is Dr. David Blumenthal, President and CEO of The Commonwealth Fund and former National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (2009-2011). Dr. Blumenthal will share his insights on The Future of Aging: Optimizing Healthcare Systems from the dual-perspective of an academic physician and healthcare policy expert.

World-renowned thought leaders, including Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, President of the John A. Hartford Foundation; Joanne Kenen, Executive Editor of Health for Politico and Mark E. Miller, PhD, Executive Director of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission will share the work they are doing to disrupt and optimize the future of aging within the healthcare, finance, technology and policy spaces. Several of our speakers straddle more than one of these sectors, representing the exciting and necessary collaboration that is already underway. Panel discussions include:

• Increased Longevity: Challenges and Opportunities,
• Safe, Healthy, Happy Aging: The Future of the Built Environment,
• Successful Aging 2030: A Roadmap for Enhancing the Patient Experience,
• Leveraging Disruptive Innovation to Create Better Outcomes,
• Aging Priorities for the New Administration: Advancing Policy for Meaningful Change, and
• Investing in the Future of Healthcare.

An addition to this year's d.health Summit is West Health's visioning session in advance of the conference, which will bring together healthcare leaders and experts at a first-of-its-kind workgroup to develop a roadmap for improving the patient experience, based on a senior's personal goals and preferences. West Health will present key takeaways from the session during a panel at the Summit and explore the ideal healthcare system that will incorporate technology innovations, social supportive services, care coordination, community assets and more to enable older adults to age in place with dignity, quality of life and independence.

"It will take new thinking, more collaboration and deliberate action by a wide range of stakeholders to ensure successful aging in America," said Summit Co-chair Shelley Lyford, President and CEO of West Health. "Effective, low-cost senior-specific models of holistic care are urgently needed and must be widely available. Some of them exist today, but are limited in scale and scope. We hope to change that."

"Aging Americans and their 40 million care givers need new care models. We hope this Summit will foster novel partnerships, disseminate thoughtful ideas, and lead to new care models that address the unique and specific healthcare needs of seniors by 2030," added Summit Co-chair Ray Dorsey, Professor of Neurology at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

The d.health Summit 2017 will take place on Wednesday, May 10 at the New York Academy of Sciences, 7 World Trade Center (250 Greenwich St., 40^th Floor), New York, NY. Visit the d.health Summit website for more information and registration; and follow on Twitter @dhealth2017 or #dhealth2017.

About the d.health Summit 2017
Bringing together world-class healthcare leaders, entrepreneurs, technology firms, policy makers, financiers and forward thinkers, the third annual d.health Summit will discuss and foster the adoption of technology-enabled solutions to dramatically improve the health of aging Americans. By focusing on high engagement and networking, attendees will learn, share and evaluate transformative approaches, as well as create new partnerships to improve care and generate economic value for one of the country's largest industries, in one of its most vibrant cities. Visit the d.health Summit website for more information and registration; and follow on Twitter @dhealth2017 or #dhealth2017.

Registration Information
To register, click here. Requests for complimentary press registration can be directed to Anna Stevenson.

d.health Summit 2017 Sponsors
Grand Rounds, Home Instead Senior Care, Pfizer, Simon Business School, VNA Health Group, and Welltower. Organized by the University of Rochester in collaboration with West Health.

SOURCE University of Rochester