The Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce and the University of Miami School of Business Administration to Host Puerto Rico Health & Insurance Conference 2011 'A New Economy in Health Care'

An opportunity for investors from the region

CORAL GABLES, Fla. and SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Dec. 14, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce (PRCC) and the University of Miami (UM) School of Business Administration today announced a partnership to co-host the Puerto Rico Health & Insurance Conference 2011 "A New Economy in Health Care." The conference, which will be held February 2, 2011 at the Conrad San Juan Condado Plaza Hotel, will provide a unique opportunity for investors, entrepreneurs and other business professionals to learn about the Puerto Rico health care system, how health care reform will impact major health insurers and institutional providers, and what new business opportunities and challenges will result from reform.

Roberto Pando, Medical Card System (MCS) Vice-President of Business Development and Chairman of the Puerto Rico Health & Insurance Conference 2011, pointed out that "We have formed this strategic alliance with the University of Miami School of Business Administration to promote and nurture entrepreneurship in Puerto Rico in the health sector, and the Conference will be one of the tools we will use to achieve this and to promote investment opportunities." Pando added, "We are announcing today the celebration of an event that targets an international audience of investors and is planned, organized and promoted in alliance with one of the best and most prestigious institutions in the business of health care, which is internationally recognized as a resource for education, training and research."

"We are delighted to partner with the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce for this timely discussion about the opportunities and challenges that health care reform will yield for investors, entrepreneurs and others in the health care industry," said Barbara E. Kahn, dean of the University of Miami School of Business Administration. "As one of Puerto Rico's leading executive education providers, the School of Business is committed to the economic development of the island and to promoting the many business advantages and opportunities it offers."

Puerto Rico's strengths in the life sciences sector are significant. By volume, Puerto Rico has the fifth largest pharmaceutical sector in the world, the third largest biotech sector and the seventh largest medical device manufacturing industry.  Healthcare in Puerto Rico is also evolving rapidly and with the significant expansion of the Medicare Advantage and Medicaid programs, the segment has seen rapid increases in employment and healthcare IT investments, as well as significant transformations in service delivery and administration. The Puerto Rico Health & Insurance Conference 2011 is expected to draw up to 500 investors, business executives, and entrepreneurs from the U.S., Latin America and Europe. Participants will hear from industry experts about the new business opportunities for entrepreneurs in the rapidly evolving health care segment in Puerto Rico and the potential impact of health care reform on the industry.

"The UM School of Business Administration is recognized as a world leader in health sector management education and research and is therefore an ideal Chamber partner for a conference of this nature," said Eng. RaulGaya, Chairman of the Board of the PRCC. "Working together, we will present a pivotal event that will showcase the many health sector business opportunities that exist in Puerto Rico for organizations around the world."

Keynote speakers include Steven G. Ullmann, a management professor and the director of programs in health sector management and policy at the University of Miami School of Business; Roberto Ramirez Garcia, a professor at the University of Puerto Rico Health Policy Graduate School; Hon. Jose Perez-Riera, Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Economic Development and Commerce; Vicente Feliciano, local economist and president of Advantage Business Consulting, Inc.; and Hon. Luis Fortuno-Burset, Governor of Puerto Rico. Ullmann and Ramirez Garcia will present a Basic Comparative Review of Health Systems, Perez-Riera will speak about The Economic Perspective of Pharmacy: Between Jobs and Costs, Feliciano will present an Economic Review of the Health Sector in Puerto Rico, and the Governor will deliver the luncheon address.

For more information and to register for the conference, visit www.camarapr.org.

The Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization established in 1913. It is the most inclusive multi-sector organization on the island, and it has traditionally been the voice that represents the private sector. Each year, multiple events, such as this one, are organized to promote and facilitate opportunities that will support the socioeconomic development of Puerto Rico.

The University of Miami School of Business Administration delivers its long-running Executive MBA program as well as custom executive education programs in Puerto Rico. The Executive MBA program is the only such program in Puerto Rico to be ranked among the world's top Executive MBA programs by the Financial Times.

SOURCE University of Miami School of Business Administration