Kentucky Chamber Hosts Inaugural Healthcare Innovation Summit

The Kentucky Chamber convened top business, health care, and policy leaders on February 21, 2025, for its inaugural Healthcare Innovation Summit, presented by ChamberAdvantage, which fostered critical discussions on the evolving health care landscape and the role of innovation in improving patient care, reducing costs, increasing access in rural areas, and strengthening Kentucky’s workforce.

Throughout the event, industry experts explored key issues shaping the future of health care, including workforce challenges, health insurance innovations, AI-driven advancements, hospital technological transformations, pharmaceutical breakthroughs, and legislative policy changes.

The Business Community’s Role in Health Care
As workforce continues to be a top challenge for the business community, Kenneth Calloway, senior vice president of human resources at Century Aluminum, Winston Griffin, CEO and chairman of Laurel Grocery, Kentucky Chamber executive committee member Amy Luttrell, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, Dub Newell, CEO of Louisville Tile Distributors, and Ashli Watts, president and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber, discussed how health care impacts their businesses.

The panel discussed several ways they have integrated education, communication, and wellness benefits, such as free preventive care visits, access to walking trails or gyms, onsite clinics, and more, to increase their workforce’s overall well-being.

Luttrell said mental health support has become a larger part of Goodwill’s overall health care benefits. Access as a barrier encouraged Griffin to open an onsite clinic, contracting with a local hospital for staffing to provide his employees with preventive check-ups, flu shots, and care when they’re ill.

The Role of Health Insurance Companies in the Future of Health Care
Leaders from Kentucky’s largest health insurance providers examined their role in shaping the future of health care.

Kentucky Chamber board members Jeb Duke, regional president of Kentucky Medicaid for Humana, Paige Franklin, CEO of Aetna Better Health of Kentucky, Kennan Wethington, president of Kentucky Commercial Business for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kentucky, and moderator Tom Stephens, president and CEO of the Kentucky Association of Health Plans, provided insights on the cost and affordability of health care and insurance, the future of insurance, health outcomes, and the policy landscape involving insurance.  

Franklin said insurers share a goal of increasing positive health outcomes for their members. They discussed how they collaborate with providers, hospitals, and other stakeholders to ensure patients receive holistic care.

Duke and Wethington echoed this, saying the complexity of the system is a challenge everyone faces, and that affordability remains the top priority.

The Role of Hospitals in the Future of Health Care
With rapid advancements in technology, hospitals across Kentucky are evolving to meet patient needs. Reba Celsor, CEO of Spring View Hospital, Russ Cox, president and CEO of Norton Healthcare, Kentucky Chamber board member Matt Grimshaw, market president of CHI Saint Joseph Health, and Jim Musser, senior vice president of policy and government relations for the Kentucky Hospital Association, discussed the use of technology and artificial intelligence to aid and support bedside clinicians.

Grimshaw shared recent implementations within his system, such as remote nurses administering discharge protocols and alleviating additional responsibilities for bedside nurses. Celsor agreed that AI would positively impact rural hospitals, allowing her teams to run more efficiently and reduce their workload.

The panel also highlighted the importance of addressing social determinants of health through partnerships with community organizations. Cox noted the collaboration with Goodwill Industries of Kentucky in opening its new hospital in west Louisville, where residents can gain skills, find resources, and build a strong community in the neighborhood.

Keynote: The Role of AI in Healthcare 
During the luncheon keynote, Dr. Bill Fera of Deloitte Consulting emphasized the growing role of artificial intelligence in health care. Dr. Fera outlined how AI is revolutionizing the industry by enhancing patient outcomes and provider care, from predictive analytics and automation to robotics and advanced diagnostics.

As AI-driven solutions and technology continue to be integrated into health care systems like ambient dictation and remote hospital discharges, Dr. Fera said clinicians can focus on the human aspects of their profession.

He also noted that many hospitals are starting their AI and technology implementations with operational and administrative tasks to increase efficiency.

The Role of Government in the Future of Healthcare
State policymakers joined the conversation to address health care policy priorities and challenges in the Commonwealth. Panel moderator and Kentucky Chamber Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Kate Shanks, Chair of the Senate Committee on Health Services Sen. Stephen Meredith, Chair of the House Committee on Health Services Rep. Kim Moser, Vice Chair of House Committee on Health Services Rep. Robert Duvall, and Rep. Rachel Roarx, a member of the Interim Joint Committee on Health Services, discussed legislation they are working on.

Several bills involve education and workforce development to solve Kentucky’s worsening shortage of health care workers. Rep. Moser said she filed a bill that would speed up the pathway to licensure for foreign providers. Rep. Duvall said he filed a bill that identifies opportunities for advanced courses for students to educate and inspire the next generation of health care professionals.

Rep. Roarx also noted how the COVID-19 pandemic led to burnout in the profession, so changing the way the public views health care is critical to addressing the shortage.

Sen. Meredith, a retired rural hospital CEO, also emphasized that another challenge facing the Commonwealth is that rural hospitals serve 40% of its population, and 20% of those hospitals are at risk of closure within three to five years.

The Role of Pharmaceuticals in the Future of Healthcare
With new medical treatments reshaping health care, pharmaceutical leaders explored how industry advancements are improving patient care.

Adam Bibelhauser, site head and senior director of the Louisville Distribution Center for Amgen, Brett Gravois, site head and head of US commercial distribution for Roche Genentech, Taylor Williams, director of government affairs for the Kentucky Pharmacists Association, and Kyle Keeney, executive director of the Kentucky Life Sciences Council, discussed the unique challenges they face in the pharmaceutical industry.

Bibelhauser and Gravois said Louisville serves as a strategic logistical hub in which 80% of the U.S. population can be reached within a day. They emphasized how critical it is to maintain this complicated logistics and security system for the distribution of sensitive medications.

Williams noted that collaboration among pharmaceutical companies, distribution and manufacturing centers, and pharmacists ensures patients receive necessary groundbreaking, lifesaving medicines.