Jean Robillard, University of Iowa Health Care leader, to keynote health care track

Jean Robillard, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa, will keynote the health care track at Iowa Ideas 2017. Robillard will speak Thursday, September 21 in Cedar Rapids.

The UI's top health care leader will be joined by Jennifer Vermeer, assistant vice president for health policy and population health at UI Health Care, in an in-depth discussion with Gazette reporters.

UI Health Care contributes more than $3.4 billion to Iowa's economy and employs more than 25,000. Under Robillard's leadership, the organization saw several major accomplishments, including: establishing the research-focused John and Mary Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building, the $73 million facility in Coralville's Iowa River Landing, and the $360 million state-of-the-art University of Iowa Children's Hospital; creating the University of Iowa Health Alliance; and leading the hospital through soaring patient counts and record fundraising and revenue totals. Last year, it was announced that a $45 million grant from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust will help create the Iowa Neuroscience Institute, a cross-disciplinary center that will research diseases that affect the brain and nervous system.

Robillard first came to the University of Iowa in the 1970s, and returned in 2003 as medical dean. He added the title of vice president in 2007, and also served as interim president of the University in 2015.

In September 2016, Robillard announced plans to step down from his leadership position, but he has no plans to leave Iowa, he told The Gazette: as a pediatric nephrologist, he intends to stay on faculty in the UI Stead Family Department of Pediatrics after his successor arrives.

'UI Health Care has, quite simply, thrived under Jean's leadership,' University of Iowa president Bruce Harreld said at the time. 'He leaves a strong legacy that will have a lasting impact on the institution and on the health care landscape of this state for generations to come.'

In addition to her role at UI Health Care, Vermeer is CEO for the University of Iowa Health Alliance, a statewide partnership comprised of five of Iowa's premiere health care organizations, working together to better coordinate care. Prior to these roles, she was Director of the Iowa Medicaid Program for six years.

The Iowa Ideas Conference, Sept. 20-22, will include 80 sessions and more than 250 speakers across eight tracks. The statewide gathering will mix panel discussions, interviews with state leaders and thought-provoking experiences to help move complex issues forward. Iowa Ideas is for anyone who cares about the future of Iowa: doers, industry leaders, policy makers and lifelong learners.

Other topics to be discussed in the Health Care track include the future of Medicaid in Iowa, mental health care, telemedicine and other health tech innovations, aging and caregiving issues, population health and other novel approaches to providing care.

Iowa Ideas 2017 will kick off Wednesday, September 20, with an opening celebration and keynote address from best-selling author and innovation expert Alec Ross.