PLEASE JOIN US FOR
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2026
HARD ROCK CASINO CINCINNATI
8:00 AM TO 4:30 PM
GUESTS UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE MUST BE APPROVED 30 DAYS IN ADVANCE
THIS UNIQUE CONVENING WILL BRING TOGETHER LEADERS AND DECISION-MAKERS FROM
HEALTHCARE, FINANCE, INVESTMENT, POLICY, PHILANTHROPY, AND BUSINESS TO EXPLORE
HOW ADVANCING HEALTH AND WEALTH FOR ALL PEOPLE AS INTERCONNECTED STRATEGIC
IMPERATIVES CAN STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES AND DRIVE SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH.
FEATURING
DR. ASHISH K. JHA
GLOBAL THOUGHT LEADER ON PUBLIC HEALTH
FORMER DEAN, BROWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
DR. UCHE BLACKSTOCK
FOUNDER & CEO
Dr. Uche Blackstock is a physician and thought leader on bias and racism in healthcare. She appears on air regularly as an MSNBC medical contributor and is the Founder & CEO of Advancing Health Equity, as well as a former associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and the former faculty director for recruitment, retention, and inclusion in the Office of Diversity Affairs at NYU School of Medicine.
Dr. Blackstock received both her undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard University, making her and her twin sister, Oni, the first Black mother-daughter legacies from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Blackstock currently lives in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York, with her two small children.
PRESENTED BY
CITY OF CINCINNATI | UC HEALTH
GREATER CINCINNATI FOUNDATION | MESSER CONSTRUCTION
METRO | THE CHRIST HOSPITAL HEALTH NETWORK | TRIHEALTH
FIRST FINANCIAL BANK | ST. ELIZABETH HEALTHCARE
BLUE OCEAN DEVELOPMENT | CINTAS CORPORATION | FIFTH THIRD BANK
INTERACT FOR HEALTH | MIAMI UNIVERSITY | THE KROGER CO.
AGENDA
8:00 - 8:30 AM
NETWORKING CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
8:30 - 9:20 AM
A CONVERSATION WITH
DR. ASHISH JHA & CORY SHAW
9:30 - 10:20 AM
INVESTING IN HEALTH & ECONOMIC MOBILITY:
THE TRANSFORMATION OF WEST LOUISVILLE
10:30 - 11:20 AM
SCALING HEALTH & WEALTH:
THE POWER OF CROSS-REGIONAL COLLABORATION
11:30 AM - 12:20 PM
DESIGNING THE FUTURE: CROSS-SECTOR STRATEGIES
TO ADVANCE HEALTH & WEALTH
12:30 - 2:00 PM
LUNCH
2:15 - 3:45 PM
BREAKOUT LABS
4:00 - 4:30 PM
LAB REPORT-OUTS
LAB DESCRIPTIONS
CLOSING THE LIFE EXPECTANCY GAP
LIFE EXPECTANCY CAN VARY BY 10-25 YEARS WITHIN THE SAME REGION, DRIVEN NOT ONLY BY HEALTHCARE ACCESS, BUT ALSO BY HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION, AND ENVIRONMENT. CLOSING THIS GAP REQUIRES COORDINATED ACTION ACROSS SECTORS THAT RARELY WORK TOGETHER. THIS LAB WILL BRING TOGETHER HEALTHCARE LEADERS, EMPLOYERS, INVESTORS, POLICYMAKERS, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO ADDRESS THE STRUCTURAL DRIVERS OF UNEQUAL OUTCOMES. PARTICIPANTS WILL IDENTIFY PRACTICAL, CROSS-SECTOR STRATEGIES THAT IMPROVE BOTH LONGEVITY AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, WITH A FOCUS ON INITIATIVES THAT CAN BEGIN NARROWING THE LIFE EXPECTANCY GAP WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
BUILDING FINANCIAL CONFIDENCE & ECONOMIC RESILIENCE
FINANCIAL STRESS AND LIMITED FINANCIAL KNOWLEDGE CONTINUE TO IMPACT THE HEALTH, STABILITY, AND LONG-TERM WELLBEING OF INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THIS LAB WILL BRING TOGETHER LEADERS FROM HEALTHCARE, BANKING, EDUCATION, BUSINESS, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO EXPLORE STRATEGIES THAT STRENGTHEN FINANCIAL CONFIDENCE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCE. PARTICIPANTS WILL EXAMINE APPROACHES THAT EXPAND ACCESS TO FINANCIAL EDUCATION, SAVINGS, RETIREMENT PREPAREDNESS, CREDIT AWARENESS, AND LONG-TERM PLANNING, WHILE ALSO IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES FOR CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION THAT IMPROVE BOTH FINANCIAL WELLBEING AND QUALITY OF LIFE.
STRENGTHENING MENTAL HEALTH AS WORKFORCE INFRASTRUCTURE
MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES ARE INCREASINGLY IMPACTING WORKFORCE PARTICIPATION, PRODUCTIVITY, AND OVERALL WELL-BEING. AT THE SAME TIME, ACCESS TO TIMELY, AFFORDABLE CARE REMAINS LIMITED, PARTICULARLY IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. THIS LAB WILL EXPLORE HOW EMPLOYERS, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, POLICYMAKERS, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS CAN WORK TOGETHER TO POSITION MENTAL HEALTH AS CORE WORKFORCE INFRASTRUCTURE. PARTICIPANTS WILL IDENTIFY PRACTICAL STRATEGIES, INCLUDING EMPLOYER-BASED MODELS, COMMUNITY CARE APPROACHES, AND INNOVATIVE FINANCING SOLUTIONS THAT IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES WHILE STRENGTHENING WORKFORCE STABILITY, RETENTION, AND LONG-TERM ECONOMIC GROWTH.
EXPANDING WEALTH THROUGH SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH AND OWNERSHIP
SMALL BUSINESSES ARE A KEY ENGINE OF WEALTH CREATION, YET MANY ENTREPRENEURS FACE BARRIERS TO CAPITAL, SCALE, AND SUSTAINABILITY. AT THE SAME TIME, A WAVE OF RETIRING BUSINESS OWNERS PRESENTS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND OWNERSHIP THROUGH ACQUISITIONS. THIS LAB WILL EXPLORE HOW CORPORATIONS, HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, AND POLICYMAKERS CAN WORK TOGETHER TO EXPAND ACCESS TO CAPITAL, CONTRACTS, AND OWNERSHIP PATHWAYS. PARTICIPANTS WILL IDENTIFY INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES, INCLUDING PROCUREMENT PARTNERSHIPS AND ACQUISITION MODELS, THAT CAN ACCELERATE SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH, STRENGTHEN LOCAL ECONOMIES, AND BUILD GENERATIONAL WEALTH.
REDUCING INFANT AND MATERNAL MORTALITY
THE UNITED STATES CONTINUES TO FACE UNACCEPTABLY HIGH RATES OF INFANT AND MATERNAL MORTALITY, WITH SIGNIFICANT DISPARITIES ACROSS RACE AND INCOME. THESE OUTCOMES ARE SHAPED BY HEALTHCARE ACCESS, ECONOMIC STABILITY, HOUSING, AND SYSTEMIC BARRIERS. THIS LAB WILL BRING TOGETHER HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, EMPLOYERS, POLICYMAKERS, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO STRENGTHEN MATERNAL HEALTH SYSTEMS AND IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR MOTHERS AND BABIES. PARTICIPANTS WILL IDENTIFY COLLABORATIVE, CROSS-SECTOR STRATEGIES, FROM EXPANDED CARE MODELS TO COMMUNITY-BASED SUPPORT, THAT CAN ACCELERATE PROGRESS AND ENSURE HEALTHIER BEGINNINGS FOR THE
NEXT GENERATION.
EXPANDING ACCESS TO STABLE AND WEALTH-BUILDING HOUSING
HOUSING IS A CRITICAL DRIVER OF BOTH HEALTH AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, YET ACCESS TO STABLE, AFFORDABLE, AND WEALTH-BUILDING HOUSING REMAINS UNEVEN. HOUSING INSTABILITY CAN DISRUPT HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND FINANCIAL SECURITY, WHILE HOMEOWNERSHIP REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PATHWAYS TO GENERATIONAL WEALTH. THIS LAB WILL EXPLORE HOW HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, EMPLOYERS, DEVELOPERS, AND POLICYMAKERS CAN WORK TOGETHER TO EXPAND ACCESS TO STABLE HOUSING AND SUSTAINABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP. PARTICIPANTS WILL IDENTIFY INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES, INCLUDING EMPLOYER-ASSISTED HOUSING AND NEW FINANCING MODELS, THAT STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES AND IMPROVE BOTH HEALTH AND ECONOMIC MOBILITY.
PRESENTERS
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF NEW YORK
DAVID ERICKSON
CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER
METRO
ADRIENE HAIRSTON
VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS
GREATER CINCINNATI FOUNDATION
ROBERT KILLINS
PRESIDENT & CEO
UC HEALTH
CORY SHAW
CHIEF HEALTH EQUITY OFFICER &
ASSOCIATE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
TRIHEALTH
DR. THOMAS SHOCKLEY
PRESIDENT & CEO
ONEWEST, LOUISVILLE
EVON SMITH
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, ECONOMIC INCLUSION
MESSER CONSTRUCTION
SONYA WALTON
