For the first time, Oklahoma health care leaders and providers are set to collaborate on local solutions. The event will be held Aug. 9-10 at Renaissance Oklahoma City Convention Center Hotel Downtown.

Conference chairwoman Shari Moore, vice president of risk management at Physicians Liability Insurance Company, says, “We believe it’s going to be relevant and timely information. When you go to a national conference, you’re kind of looking at things overall, and we’re really aiming at bringing in the Oklahoma aspects and perspective on that. We’ll look at, specifically, what Oklahoma physicians and health care providers are dealing with.”

She says organizers received a brisk initial response with more than 250 pre-registrations coming in following the initial mailing. She also says a large topic will be the impending changes in health care, as well as the transition to electronic medical records.

“And just how to navigate through these challenging times when reimbursements are down and we have the possibility of this influx of newly insured patients into the system, just when we’re trying to figure out how to deal with the uninsured,” she says.

The payment delivery system of accountable care organizations is another murky topic on providers’ minds.

“Nobody really knows how those are going to flesh out or what they will look like,” Moore says. “There’s certainly a push to try to coordinate services, and that’s just a huge challenge. Anybody who has ever had more than one or two physicians on a case … coordinating care among them is a huge job.”

The summit is aimed at providing physicians, practice managers, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and hospital leaders a place to discuss ideas and discover solutions for the challenges they face in an uncertain business environment. CME and CEU credits will be awarded for attendance.

The conference will feature keynote addresses by author Frank Abagnale, who is the subject of the film Catch Me If You Can; business innovation expert Chris Trimble; and futurist Lowell Catlett. In addition, Gov. Mary Fallin and Insurance Commissioner John Doak have been invited to discuss the state of Oklahoma health care.

An expo sponsored by St. Anthony Hospital, featuring a technology pavilion provided by Verizon Wireless and affiliated partners, also takes place over the course of the two days.

Networking opportunities include an opening reception sponsored by Eide Bailly. That first evening, BancFirst will host a cocktail event at Devon Boathouse.