Emory exec to highlight healthcare innovation at international conference

NORCROSS, Ga. – Jan. 12, 2024 – Healthcare experts sharing ideas, innovations and best practices will meet in Atlanta at the Healthcare Systems Process Improvement Conference presented by the Society for Health Systems of the Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers, Feb. 13-15, at the Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia.

A key organization at the forefront of innovation in Atlanta is Emory Healthcare, and one of its leaders, Heather Dexter, will serve as a keynote speaker at HSPI.

Dexter is president, Regional Hospital Division for Emory, which includes five facilities in the metro Atlanta area, and serves as the executive sponsor of Heart and Vascular Services for Emory Healthcare. Dexter says that attending HSPI will provide her “with an invaluable opportunity to gain knowledge, network with other professionals and stay abreast of industry trends.”

Dexter is joined by two other keynote speakers on the program. Greg Jacobson is CEO and co-founder of KaiNexus, which develops software and improvement solutions for businesses. He completed a residency in emergency medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and served on the school faculty. After observing challenges faced in the emergency department, he founded KaiNexus in 2009.

“Conferences like these help healthcare professionals realize they’re not alone in their experiences and challenges,” said Jacobson. “We’re all navigating similar hurdles, whether at an individual or organizational level. HSPI allows us to elevate our thinking and learn from each other’s journeys.”

Jacobson is author of Kaizen: A Method of Process Improvement in the Emergency Department, published in Academic Emergency Medicine and still fills regular shifts in the ER.

Keynoter David Reid, PE, director, Production Design for Chick-fil-A, is a Georgia Tech mechanical engineering graduate and leads a team of industrial and Lean engineers in improving the popular Atlanta restaurant company’s processes and customer experience.

“I’m a huge fan of best practices. When we follow best practices, we leverage the hard-won experience of people who have figured out the right way to do something and have passed it along to us,” said Reid.

To sign up for the conference and experience the latest in operational and quality improvement tools, methods and strategies to elevate healthcare efficiency and patient care, visit iise.org/HSPI.

About IISE: The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers is the world’s largest professional society dedicated solely to the support of the industrial engineering profession and individuals involved with improving quality and productivity. Founded in 1948, IISE is an international, nonprofit association that provides knowledge, training, networking opportunities and recognition to enhance the skills and effectiveness of its members, customers and the profession. For more information about IISE, visit www.iise.org and to learn more about the Society for Health Systems, go to iise.org/SHS.