Aetna leaders share insights at the C3 U.S.-Arab Health Care and Business Summit

Several Aetna International leaders recently played key roles at the 2018 C3 U.S.-Arab Health Care and Business Summit, which we sponsored along with title sponsor Alitheia Holdings and other organisations.

Held in September at The Union League Club in New York, this year’s C3 (Community, Collaboration, Commerce) Summit brought together more than 500 business leaders, policy makers, educators and health care professionals from the Arab world and the United States. With the theme, ‘Moving Health Care, Commerce and Philanthropy Beyond Bilateral Borders’, the event addressed the resources, research and care access needed to improve individual  disease states and overall quality of life.

During the event, Kate Karwelies, Aetna International Sales Vice President, engaged with professionals about the health care strategies being implemented to help international employers, governments and other payers, health care providers and consumers thrive in the future.

“We believe in making smart investments in prevention and early intervention measures, and harnessing technology and scientific advancements to deliver personalised health care. The future of health care lies in designing a consumer experience and business processes that uses data insights to affect health outcomes and reduce costs,” said Kate, who moderated an invitation-only roundtable sponsored by Aetna International. During the roundtable, titled ‘Increasing Investments in the Health Care Sector’, participants explored the expected impact of a global shortage of clinical professionals; opportunities and challenges presented by telemedicine and technology-driven initiatives; and how care access will be affected by direct investment and ownership in medical facilities.

Dr Stella George, Aetna International Head of Americas Care Management, was a panelist on a discussion about the public health care challenges faced by Middle East populations. Fellow panelists included representatives from the Egypt offices of the World Health Organization and the World Bank; the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia offices of the World Business Angels Investment Forum and ReAya Holdings; and The Cleveland Clinic.

“Rapid globalisation and urbanisation are contributing to four main types of health care issues in the Middle East: cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes,” said Stella. “These diseases are driven by factors that include ageing, rapid unplanned urbanisation, and unhealthy lifestyles due to poor diets, tobacco use, insufficient physical activity and the health impacts of obesity. The summit was an unparalleled opportunity for us to share our deep understanding of these health challenges and the solutions that may be most effective for this region.”

Also in attendance from Aetna International were Kevin Swanson, Sales Vice President; Bill Marple, Sales & Service Director; and Razi Abdalla, Associate Account Manager.

Our involvement with this summit represents just one of many ways we reinforce our thought leadership on these key issues and our commitment to continual development of value-based relationships throughout the Middle East and globally. Exploring these challenges with others and sharing our broad knowledge and solutions ultimately supports people’s ability to access quality care and improve their health.

For a closer look at our thought leadership on other important health care issues, read our white papers found in the content library at aetnainternational.com.