Dr. Stephen K. Klasko
Chair, 3D Systems Medical Advisory Board
Former President, Thomas Jefferson University & CEO, Jefferson Health
Dr. Klasko is one of the most respected executives in the healthcare industry today, known for bridging the entrepreneurial mindset of Silicon Valley with the current healthcare ecosystem. Most recently, he led Jefferson Health to become one of the fastest-growing academic health centers in the United States, as president and CEO of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health. Over Dr. Klasko’s eight-year tenure, Jefferson grew from roughly $1 billion in revenue to over $9 billion, dramatically expanding the institution’s capabilities and reach - establishing one of the nation’s largest and most advanced telemedicine faculty-based healthcare to bring healthcare to millions in need.
Over the course of his accomplished career, Dr. Klasko has served as Dean of two medical schools and CEO of three health systems. He is deeply committed to transforming health care from its traditional focus on “sick care,” to a resilient, proactive system of “healthcare at any address” – designed to bend the cost curve through innovation, make quality care more accessible, and move population health, social determinants, and predictive analytics from philosophic exercises to the mainstream of clinical care and payment models. Dr. Klasko is one of the leading voices in the nation, championing the transformation of healthcare systems in partnership with digital technology innovators in the quest for a very different and brighter future.
The Honorable David J. Shulkin, MD
Ninth Secretary, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
As one of the country’s most highly respected experts in health care management, Secretary Shulkin is widely recognized as a visionary leader for patient-centered care. His passion and expertise led to his early appointment as the first Chief Medical Officer for the University of Pennsylvania Health System, and later as President and CEO of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York.
As a testament to his leadership and vision, in 2015 Dr. Shulkin was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as Undersecretary of Veterans Affairs for Health in the United States Department for Veterans Affairs (VA). Recognizing Dr. Shulkin’s leadership capabilities, in 2017 he was nominated by President Donald Trump to become the ninth United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He was confirmed by the Senate 100-0, becoming the most senior Government official to serve under both Presidents Obama and Trump. During his tenure, Secretary Shulkin worked to transform and modernize the VA healthcare system, the Government’s second-largest organization with over 350,000 employees and 1,700 facilities nationwide. Since leaving the VA, Secretary Shulkin has continued his distinguished career as a leading spokesman for patient-centered care and the continued transformation of health care to increase quality and accessibility to all in need. He is the author of three books, and the recipient of numerous career achievement awards, including his being named as one of the 100 Most Influential Leaders in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare.
The Honorable Alex M. Azar II
24th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Secretary Azar is a globally recognized leader in healthcare, having built a distinguished record of success in both the public and private sectors. His executive leadership roles include serving as President of the U.S. Division of Eli Lilly and Company, one of the largest and most successful healthcare companies in the world, and a recognized leader in the discovery, development, and commercialization of pharmaceutical products that have improved the lives of countless people around the globe. In conjunction with his leadership role at Eli Lilly, Secretary Azar also served on the Board of Directors of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), the world’s largest advocacy organization representing the biotechnology industry.
In addition to his leadership in the private sector, Secretary Azar has also had a long and distinguished record of public service. He was appointed General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 2001, being unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. After four years of distinguished service as General Counsel, he was nominated to be the Deputy Secretary of HHS and again was unanimously confirmed by the Senate. Based on his exceptional experience and success in these roles, Secretary Azar was later nominated and confirmed as the 24th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services. With oversight responsibility for critical public health organizations such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Secretary Azar was a recognized champion for improving the health and wellbeing of all Americans, ranging from healthcare accessibility and safety to the effective use of new medical technology to improve patient outcomes and reduce the cost of care. Included among Secretary Azar’s many accomplishments as HHS Secretary was his role as one of the architects of Operation Warp Speed, a public-private partnership initiated by the U.S. Government that greatly accelerated the development and manufacturing of multiple, highly effective COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics that proved critical to the global effort to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Toby Cosgrove
Former President & Chief Executive Officer of the Cleveland Clinic
Dr. Cosgrove has distinguished himself as a leader of one of the world’s most recognized healthcare institutions, a renowned medical practitioner, and as a forward-looking healthcare innovator. Having been affiliated with the Cleveland Clinic healthcare system for nearly 50 years, Dr. Cosgrove served as President and Chief Executive Officer from 2004 to 2017 and is currently an Executive Advisor to the Clinic. As President and CEO, Dr. Cosgrove oversaw a $6 billion annual revenue institution comprised of the Cleveland Clinic, over 20 Ohio-based hospitals, family health centers, and surgical facilities, as well as Cleveland Clinic affiliates in other U.S. states and internationally. During Dr. Cosgrove’s tenure leading the Cleveland Clinic, it was ranked among the top three hospitals in America by U.S. News and World Report, and he championed a broad range of initiatives to improve clinical outcomes, increase patient satisfaction, and focus the Clinic’s delivery of health care services around specific organ systems and diseases.
Prior to serving as the Cleveland Clinic’s top executive, Dr. Cosgrove was a cardiac surgeon at the Clinic and served as Chairman of its Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery from 1989 to 2004. He has performed more than 22,000 operations over the course of his career and is widely regarded as a pioneer in the field of advanced surgical techniques. Deeply committed to medical innovation and to applying new technologies for the benefit of patients, Dr. Cosgrove has over 30 patents filed for new medical and clinical products used in surgical environments.
Dr. Bon Ku
Director of the Health Design Lab at Thomas Jefferson University
Dr. Bon Ku has enjoyed a distinguished career as both a practicing medical clinician and as a visionary proponent of using technology-based innovations to solve pressing healthcare challenges. Dr. Ku is the Marta and Robert Adelson Professor of Medicine and Design at Thomas Jefferson University as well as an emergency physician at the University’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College.
Dr. Ku is widely regarded as an authority on accelerating healthcare innovation through the use of modern technological tools such as virtualization, digital modeling, prototyping, and additive manufacturing. He is the co-founder and Director of Thomas Jefferson University’s Health Design Lab, a unique institution that works with medical students, researchers, and physicians to develop new medical devices and innovative design concepts for the healthcare sector. The Health Design Lab led by Dr. Ku features a clinical 3D printing and bioprinting lab and is home to the JeffSolves MedTech initiative, which serves as a center for the incubation and commercialization of new medical technologies. Dr. Ku is also the author of numerous peer-reviewed publications focusing on the application of 3D-printed medical devices and digital models to improve surgical outcomes, optimize treatments, and make advancements in personalized medicine.
Mr. Bert Bruce
Regional President, U.S. Rare Disease Business Unit, Pfizer, Inc
Bert Bruce has distinguished himself over a long career in the pharmaceutical industry, as a leader in the development and commercialization of innovative drug therapies and life-saving compounds, as well as for his commitment to applying scientific research and advanced technology to the cause of improving patient outcomes. Mr. Bruce currently leads the U.S. Rare Disease Business Unit at Pfizer, Inc., one of the world's premier biopharmaceutical companies. He is responsible for the Pfizer Rare Disease treatment portfolio in the United States, including oversight of major pharmaceutical products, as well as for the company’s Rare Disease gene therapy development pipeline. At Pfizer, Mr. Bruce has distinguished himself as a champion for patients living with rare diseases.
Prior to his current position, Mr. Bruce served as Pfizer’s Vice President, Global Commercial Development, Rare Disease. In this role, Mr. Bruce led work by global teams spanning the entire breadth of the drug development cycle — from investigation and screening of early stage compounds through late-stage commercial development of successful new drugs, and also directed business development efforts to acquire new medicines and grow the company’s development pipeline portfolio. Mr. Bruce possesses over 30 years of broad pharmaceutical industry experience. In addition to his 17-year career with Pfizer, Mr. Bruce’s experience includes previous business leadership and strategy roles at Janssen Pharmaceutica, part of Johnson & Johnson. Mr. Bruce is also actively involved in a variety of social and educational causes. He is the chair of the Pfizer Global Black Community, is a member of the President’s Leadership Council at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health, and is a board member for Life Sciences PA, and also for Bold Hope, Inc.
Dr. Rebekah Gee
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Nest Health
Dr. Gee is a recognized leader in healthcare policy who possesses a unique blend of experience in delivering innovative healthcare solutions for families and communities, leading government healthcare institutions, and the practice of medicine. She is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nest Health, a company that seeks to overcome the challenges faced by working families with young children in accessing much-needed healthcare services by delivering whole-family, whole-person primary care to families at home, in the community, and online.
From 2016–2020, Dr. Gee served as Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, the state’s largest agency with an annual budget of approximately $14 billion. While Secretary, she oversaw the implementation of Medicaid expansion which has extended health insurance coverage to over 600,000 Louisianans. Dr. Gee has an extensive background in quality improvement and as a health services researcher who has served in numerous additional state and national healthcare policy roles. Before she was appointed Secretary, Dr. Gee served as the Medicaid Medical Director for Louisiana Medicaid, the Medical Director for Title V, and she directed Louisiana’s Birth Outcomes Initiative where she led efforts to decrease infant mortality and prematurity. Her initiatives resulted in a 25% reduction in infant mortality, an 85% drop in elective deliveries before 39 weeks, and a 10% drop in NICU admissions statewide. Dr. Gee has been a practicing Obstetrician/Gynecologist for over 20 years, which has enabled her to bring a medical caregiver’s perspective to the people she serves in public policy and healthcare delivery roles. She is a gratis Professor of Public Health at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans. In addition to her appointment to the National Academy of Medicine, Dr. Gee was recognized by The New York Times as one of “Five Who Spread Hope” in 2019, and by Modern Healthcare as one of 2019's Women Leaders to Watch in Healthcare.