Inaugural Healthier Texas Summit to be held in Austin Nov. 6-7

AUSTIN—Texas thought leaders and health champions will convene at the inaugural Healthier Texas Summit in Austin Nov. 6-7 to share best practices, discuss current trends and innovations in population and community health, and make connections that will catalyze their work.

The two-day summit is a collaboration between The University of Texas System and the non-profit organization IT’S TIME TEXAS. It’s the kickoff event of Healthier Texas, a new public-private initiative designed to reduce the burden of preventable chronic disease in Texas.

“Reducing preventable chronic disease in Texas is an enormous challenge, and one that will require hard work, collaboration, and innovation across many realms and over many years,” said David Lakey, MD, Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer of UT System. “To reflect the complexity and breadth of that challenge, we are bringing together an extraordinary – and extraordinarily diverse – group of presenters and panelists from across Texas. This is a rare opportunity to connect with peers, forge new connections across disciplines, and participate in the urgent task of improving health for all Texans.”

William H. McRaven, chancellor of The University of Texas System, will give the keynote address. Other speakers and panelists include: State Sen. Kirk Watson, Texas Tribune Health Reporter Marissa Evans, UT Medical Branch Director of Telehealth Mari Robinson, City of Austin CodeNEXT Principal Planner Jennifer Todd and Go Collaborative Founder Sarah Gamble and more.

To register, and for the full list of sessions and speakers, visit healthiertexasummit.com.

About The University of Texas System
Educating students, providing care for patients, conducting groundbreaking basic, applied and clinical research, and serving the needs of Texans and the nation for more than 130 years, The University of Texas System is one of the largest public university systems in the United States. With 14 institutions and an enrollment of more than 234,000 students, the UT System confers more than one-third of the state’s undergraduate degrees, educates approximately two-thirds of the state’s health care professionals annually and accounts for almost 70 percent of all research funds awarded to public institutions in Texas. The UT System’s operating budget for FY 2018 is $18.3 billion, including $3.6 billion in sponsored programs funded by federal, state, local and private sources. With more than 20,000 faculty – including Nobel laureates and many members of the National Academies – and nearly 80,000 health care professionals, researchers, student advisors and support staff, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.