November 2012 ENGAGE Wrap-up

Earlier this week we held the second in our 2012-13 series of ENGAGE breakfasts at the Long Center. This month focused on Central Texas' growing veteran population and how our community is supporting these men and women as they return to civilian life. Panelists included Allen Bergeron (City of Austin Veterans Consultant), Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Kopser (United States Army and Chair and Professor of Military Science at The University of Texas at Austin), Steven Pullin (military veteran and advocate for the Heart of Texas Healthcare Network), and Texas State Senator Leticia Van de Putte (Chair of the Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs and Military Installations). The discussion was moderated by KXAN News Anchor Shannon Wolfson.

November 2012 ENGAGE in the Long Center Kodosky Lounge

Below is the full podcast of the event, along with links to media coverage and resources from the discussion.

Download this audio file (MP3)

Subscribe to the Leadership Austin Podcast via iTunes

Media Coverage

• Read a recap from Community Impact News

List of Resources

• White House Business Council's Guide to Hiring Veterans
• Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System
• New SE Austin VA Clinic Nearing Completion
• Texas Veterans Land Board
• Texas Veterans Commission Employer Services
• Texas Veterans Commission Entrepreneur Program
• TVC Fund for Veterans' Assistance

Our next ENGAGE breakfast will be Tuesday, December 4 when we will explore new and innovative models for philanthropy. Click here for more details and ticket information.

We hope to see you there!

Opposing Central Health's Proposition 1: CultureMap Editorial Series Continued

Leadership Austin is partnering with CultureMap Austin on a series of editorial columns meant to inform Austinites about the upcoming City of Austin proposition elections, to be held November 6.

Today's column is from invited guest columnist Roger Falk on Proposition 1 and a proposed medical school for the city. Head over to CultureMap to read the full post.

The case against the UT medical school: Central Health's Proposition 1

NOTE: The opinions of Leadership Austin alumni and faculty members are their own, and do not represent an official position of the organization.

In Favor of Central Health's Proposition 1: CultureMap Editorial Series Continued

Leadership Austin is partnering with CultureMap Austin on a series of editorial columns meant to inform Austinites about the upcoming City of Austin proposition elections, to be held November 6.

Today's column is from former City of Austin Mayor Pro Tem Betty Durkerley on Proposition 1 and a proposed medical school for the city. Head over to CultureMap to read the full post. Betty Dunkerley was a panelist at the October 10 ENGAGE Breakfast Town Hall event.

UT needs a medical school: The case for Central Health's Proposition 1

NOTE: The opinions of Leadership Austin alumni and faculty members are their own, and do not represent an official position of the organization.

October 2012 ENGAGE - Politics from City to Nation

This morning was the first ENGAGE breakfast of the 2012-13 series, and we gathered on the Dell Hall Stage at the Long Center for the Performing Arts to discuss the upcoming election and its impact on Central Texas.

UPDATE I: Read a recap of the event from Community Impact News
UPDATE II: Watch KXAN's recap and coverage of the breakfast

October 2012 ENGAGE on stage at the Long Center

This breakfast was also a KXAN Town Hall, which was streamed live online and which will be broadcast on the KXAN network beginning at 7:00 pm Friday, October 19. We'll be updating this post with recaps and media coverage as it becomes available, but in the meantime we have the full audio podcast of the event below:

Download this audio file (MP3)

Subscribe to the Leadership Austin Podcast via iTunes

Don't forget! Election Day is November 6 and early voting in Travis County begins October 22. Take a look at the City of Austin's Charter Propositions page or the Austin League of Women Voters' ballot guide for a primer on the wide range of initiatives this election is covering.

Many thanks to our panel, moderators, sponsors and partners for a great event and what is sure to be another important and informative ENGAGE Breakfast Series. Join us for our next breakfast Wednesday, November 14 as we discuss Central Texas's growing veteran population and how our region is supporting them and their families.

We hope to see you there!

October 2012 ENGAGE Panelists and Moderators

• Mike Clark-Madison - Vice President of Public Policy and Research, Hahn, Texas
• Sheryl Cole - Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem, City of Austin
• Betty Dunkerley - Former Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem, City of Austin
• Regina Lawrence - Director, The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life
• Terry Mitchell - President, Momark Development
• Tom Pauken - Commissioner Representing Employers, Texas Workforce Commission
• Ross Ramsey - Executive Director, The Texas Tribune
• Jason Stanford - Founder and CEO, Stanford Campaigns
• Moderated by KXAN-TV Anchors Robert Hadlock and Leslie Rhode

March 2012 Engage - Regional Healthcare: Does Austin deserve its "Fit City" moniker?

The Rollins Theater at the Long Center for the Performing Arts was the scene on March 6th for another lively discussion in our ongoing ATXpansion Engage Breakfast Series.

Austin is acclaimed for its fitness lifestyle – from avid joggers on the Lady Bird Lake trail to the Cap-10K – and our youthful and fit population, natural resources and great climate all lend themselves to our designation as the “Fit City.” But how well does this description fit our population at large? According to the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department, 28% of Austin’s kindergartners are overweight or obese.

We'd like to know what you think. What is your take on Austin's health and fitness needs?

Our expert panel explored just how healthy Central Texans really are. What are our providers, citizens and business leaders doing to help keep the city, themselves and their employees healthy? What are our challenges and prospects for the future to be a truly healthy region?

Hadlock

Panelists included:

• Paul Carrozza - Founder and CEO, RunTex
• Dr. Stephen Pont - Medical Director, Texas Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Childhood Obesity, Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas
• Ellen Richards - Director of Planning, Central Health
• Leslie Sweet - Austin and Central Texas Public Affairs Director, H-E-B
• Moderator: Robert Hadlock, KXAN

Carrozza

Pont

Richards

Sweet

Update - Highlights from the panel:

• “Education is related to health overall. One area we can focus on is to help kids get through high school” - Ellen Richards
• "This is a quality of life issue. What you do creates a need for what you eat. Athletes lay around and rest more than any other person because of how they train. If they do the training, the rest of the lifestyle works." - Paul Carrozza
• “There are a lot of fit folks in Austin but also a lot of disparity as well” “There’s such a great potential for us to be a diamond in being a fit city." - Dr. Stephen Pont
• “We noticed about six years ago that our HEBuddy line had some harmful ingredients, so our food scientists went back and re-worked the entire line. Now if a parent doesn't have time to read the label on a product, they can count on the fact that HEBuddy products are a good choice for their family." - Leslie Sweet

Resources and information:

• Register for the KXAN Town Hall on Regional Healthcare
• Goodhealth.com
• Heather McKissick's post at Goodhealth.com
• ATX100: a specially designed club to help those who want to lose 100 pounds or more.
• Texas Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Childhood Obesity
• Health and Wellness at H-E-B
• Central Health White Paper: Health and Health Care Trends & Innovations in Central Texas

Online and media coverage:

• Thom Singers blog post about today's breakfast: Some Assembly Required
• KXAN TV: ATXpansion health coverage

Live audience polling results:

As always, many thanks to our presenting sponsor Capital One Bank and special sponsors, CorpFit and goodhealth.com. Thanks to our program partners - The Long Center for the Performing Arts, KXAN News, Sterling Affairs Catering and Events - and our mobile technology partner 44Doors.

Views from the Seats: October Engage

Feedback from attendees indicates the Oct. 6 Engage Breakfast was quite a success! A panel including Seton Family of Hospitals CEO Jesus Garza, UT President William Powers, and State Senator Kirk Watson addressed "ATXpansion: Central Texas Grows toward the Future."

Live polling took place throughout the event. By texting and tweeting responses, attendees helped to guide the discussion towards topics most relevant and pressing in our community. The results of the live polling are in our previous post.

The panelists discussed a variety of expansion-related issues -- from transportation, education and water conservation to healthcare and the establishment of a medical school in Austin. Here are few highlights of their comments:

Traffic and Transportation
The live audience poll indicated traffic and transportation is our region's top growth concern. Senator Kirk Watson agreed with the audience, saying that limited planning tools and a lack of sufficient funding are key issues. Said Watson, "You can’t vote 47% that transportation is your biggest problem, and then vote 47% that you don’t want to pay for it."

Medical School
Audience polling indicated that economic growth was the top benefit of creating a Medical School in Austin within 10 years. Jesus Garza stressed that beyond providing education for young medical students and residents and addressing a shortage in physicians, establishing a medical school would “be a great opportunity for us to really build the next economic equation for this region."

Bill Powers agreed, and pointed to the advantage of Austin already having the "underlying science and education" part of the necessary infrastructure. "All the elements are there," Powers said. "Biomedical engineering, chemistry and biochemistry, nursing, pharmacy, social work."

Each panelist concluded with a call to urging that in all areas of future growth, we should remember the importance of:

• Building infrastructure for the next generation
• Getting rid of “the fear factor” in order to encourage investment
• Getting involved by becoming an expert in one’s passion
• Approaching issues with pragmatism rather than political agenda

Popular Austin speaker and consultant Thom Singer was in the audience, and offers additional views and commentary on his blog, Some Assembly Required.

News Coverage
Be sure to visit the news coverage on our partner pages at Community Impact, and also click below to watch the coverage on KXAN. The Statesman also covered the story from the medical school perspective.

October 2011 Engage - ATXpansion

We just wrapped up the first Engage breakfast of the 2011-12 series with Seton COO Jesus Garza, UT President William Powers, and Texas State Senator Kirk Watson on the Dell Hall Stage at the Long Center for the Performing Arts.

Community Impact Newspaper was there and has a great recap of the event. And don't forget to check out the references, audio podcast, and live polling results below. What did you think of the program? Leave a comment and let us know!

References from the discussion:

• Seton Family of Hospitals COO Jesus Garza
• Office of UT President William Powers
• Office of Texas Senator Kirk Watson
• Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO)
• Overview of State Highway Fund 0006 Revenues - Motor Fuels Tax (PDF)
• Texas State Highway 130
• November 2011 Election State Proposition 2 from Legislature Bill SJR 4
• November 2011 Election State Proposition 8 from Legislature Bill SJR 16
• Kirk Watson's "10 Goals in 10 Years"

Audio:

Download this audio file (MP3)

Subscribe to the Leadership Austin Podcast via iTunes

Live polling results:

February 2011 Engage - Behavioral Healthcare

Rarely does behavioral/mental healthcare make headlines, but we continue to experience a crisis when it comes to delivering care to all those who need it. With resources already stretched and populations continuing to grow, innovation in this arena is sorely needed. Who is providing emergency care for the mentally ill? What are some of the models that are working in Central Texas? What innovations are still needed to prepare us for the future?

Trish Young Brown and Dr. Christopher Ziebell

Speakers:

• Patricia Young Brown – President and CEO, Central Health
• Christopher Ziebell, M.D, F.A.C.E.P. – Medical Director, Dept. of Emergency Medicine, University Medical Center at Brackenridge
• Moderated by Jim Walker – Director of Sustainability, The University of Texas at Austin

References from the discussion:

• Central Health
• University Medical Center Brackenridge
• Austin Travis County Integral Care
• The Children's Partnership
• Children's Optimal Health
• National Alliance on Mental Illness - Texas

Audio:

Download this audio file (MP3)

Subscribe to the Leadership Austin Podcast via iTunes

Live polling results:

November 2009 Engage - Healthcare Reform

With all of the national fervor over healthcare reform, how are the local concerns on healthcare needs affected? What are the continued challenges for our region and what services, technologies and partnerships will help us turn the corner towards a healthier population?

Shannon Meroney, Gregg Knaupe, and Ann Kitchen

Speakers:

• Ann Kitchen – Former Executive Director, The Integrated Care Collaboration
• Gregg Knaupe – Chair, University Medical Center Brackenridge Hospital Development Board; former Vice President of Public Affairs, Texas Hospital Association
• Shannon Meroney - Director of State Government Relations, Aetna
• Moderated by Jim Walker – Director of Sustainability, The University of Texas at Austin

References from the discussion:

• The Kaiser Family Foundation
• The Integrated Care Collaboration
• University Medical Center Brackenridge
• Aetna

Audio:

Download this audio file (MP3)

Subscribe to the Leadership Austin Podcast via iTunes

March 2009 Engage - A Medical School in Austin

The most recent available American Hospital Association survey (2006) reports that Central Texas hospitals spent almost $500 million to care for the un- and under-insured in Central Texas. Historically, teaching hospitals, academic physicians, and residency programs form the backbone of the nation’s healthcare safety net. Teaching hospitals, which represent 30% of all hospitals, provide 80% of the charity care delivered in the country.

Recent news has highlighted a potential affiliation agreement between the Seton Family of Hospitals and the University of Texas that would allow the Seton system to serve as the primary teaching hospitals for an Austin-based medical school. Where does this potential agreement stand? What are the advantages and disadvantages of a regional medical school in Central Texas, and how might it impact the healthcare safety net in this region?

Dr. Sam Shomaker, Jim Walker, and Bruce Leander

Speakers:

• Bruce Leander – Former President and General Manager, Ambion / Applied Biosystems
• Dr. Sam Shomaker – Professor and Dean, UTMB Austin Programs
• Moderated by Jim Walker – Executive Director, Central Texas Sustainability Indicators Project

References from the discussion:

• Ambion / Applied Biosystems
• The University of Texas Medical Branch
• Central Texas Sustainability Indicators Project