Best-selling Author Lee Woodruff, Futurist Ian Morrison to Speak at URAC’s Best Practices Conference

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Life changed in a heartbeat for successful freelance writer Lee Woodruff when her husband, Bob Woodruff, co-anchor of ABC’s World News Tonight, was wounded while broadcasting from Iraq. Her experience as a caregiver and patient advocate during her husband’s recovery will be the focus of her keynote address at URAC’s Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection Conference and Exhibit, April 1-2, 2009 in Orlando, Fla.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030501/URACLOGO)

Woodruff is an author and contributing editor on Good Morning America. Her keynote address, “In an Instant: A Health Care Consumer’s Journey of Healing and Empowerment” echoes the themes presented by her bestselling book by the same title.

Woodruff’s story will underscore the consumer’s role in health care at a conference that spotlights the health care industry’s award-winning programs in consumer empowerment and protection. Twenty-three finalists in URAC’s Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection Awards competition will be honored during the two-day conference, which will recognize innovative and proven programs from health information/decision support, health management, pharmacy quality management and workers’ compensation companies as well as health plans and health networks.

“The Best Practices Awards recognize these outstanding programs, and the Conference is an educational opportunity for companies to learn how to replicate them in their own companies,” said Alan Spielman, URAC’s president and CEO. “These emerging best practices give industry leaders a glimpse of the future of health care and new directions that can lead to a greater emphasis on consumer needs.”

Futurist Ian Morrison, Ph.D., will offer the keynote address on the first day of the conference, “The Future of the Healthcare Marketplace.” Morrison is a founding partner of Strategic Health Perspectives, a forecasting service for clients in the health care industry. He is a senior fellow at the Institute for the Future and has written, lectured and consulted on a variety of forecasting, strategy and health care topics around the world. His most recent book is “Healthcare in the New Millennium: Vision, Values and Leadership.”

URAC’s Best Practices Awards were created to extend the organization’s educational mission by showcasing proven best practices within the health care management industry. Finalists are invited to present their winning programs at URAC’s 2009 Best Practices Conference & Exhibit and URAC educational events throughout the year. Presentations will showcase working best practices in two categories: consumer decision-making and consumer health improvement.

For complete conference details and to register for URAC’s Best Conference & Exhibit, go to http://www.urac.org/bestpractices/default.asp.

About URAC

URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is well-known as a leader in promoting health care quality through its accreditation and certification programs. URAC offers a wide range of quality benchmarking programs and services that keep pace with the rapid changes in the health care system, and provide a symbol of excellence for organizations to validate their commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that all stakeholders are represented in establishing meaningful quality measures for the entire health care industry. For more information, visit www.urac.org.

SOURCE URAC