Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University is planning a one-day conference for employers who want to stay ahead of the game relating to medical and health insurance plans.

"Issues and Trends in Healthcare Management: Implications and Solutions," sponsored by the Department of Management and the Management Advisory Board of WKU’s Gordon Ford College of Business, will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Carroll Knicely Conference Center in Bowling Green.

"The program is targeted to companies that want a comprehensive update on the latest issues and innovations in the areas of medical insurance and employee health," said Bob Hatfield, associate professor of management. "The speakers will focus on ideas about how to manage health benefits that participants will be able to take back to their workplaces."

Scheduled keynote speakers include: Jeff Allen, director of Public Affairs for the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce; Dr. John Gover, Board Certified Internal Medicine Specialist from Bowling Green; Marvin Cobern, vice president of Strategy and Development for ValueOptions, a behavioral health company serving more than 23 million members; Mercer HR Consulting, a global leader for Human Resource Management and related financial advice, products and services; Maribeth McBride, manager of Employee Benefits and Retirement for WKU; Howard Leach, head of Human Resources at Logan Aluminum in Russellville; and Tom Badgett, chief medical director for Medicaid appearing on behalf of Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher.

A Healthcare Management Discussion Panel will feature Connie Smith, CEO of The Medical Center in Bowling Green; Dr. Jeff Barber, president and CEO of the Owensboro Medical Health System; Mark Marsh, CEO of Greenview Regional Hospital in Bowling Green; and Terry Peeples, president and CEO of Jennie Stuart Medical Center in Hopkinsville.

"In addition to our terrific speakers, exhibit booths will be available before and after the seminar," said Paula Potter, assistant professor of management. "This will give participants even more opportunities to take away information that will help them do their jobs even better."

Registration for the conference is $200 if received before Aug. 27; $250 if received on or before Sept. 26; and $400 for late registration or walk-in.

For registration information or to reserve a booth, contact WKU's Continuing Education at (270) 745-1912, by email at continuing.education@wku.edu or by visiting www.wku.edu/delo.

Continuing Education is a unit of the WKU Division of Extended Learning and Outreach (DELO). DELO delivers quality credit and non-credit educational opportunities to individuals, organizations and the public using flexible and accessible formats.

For more information on DELO, visit www.wku.edu/delo. For more information about the WKU Gordon Ford College of Business, visit www.wku.edu/gfcb.

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact Bill Oldham at (270) 745-1926.