Medical Devices, Wearables, and Emerging Technologies in Healthcare

Join HIMSS NCA for a presentation on "Medical Devices, Wearables, and Emerging Technologies in Healthcare" by Dr. Sam Hanna, Executive in Residence and Associate Dean for Healthcare Management, Technology, and Innovation from American University. The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion with representatives from academia, Department of Veterans Affairs, and industry as they expand on this topic

Speakers

Dr. Sam Hanna
Executive in Residence and Associate Dean for Healthcare Management, Technology, and Innovation
American University (presenter and moderator) 

Sam is the Associate Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies, an Executive in Residence and the Program Director of the master’s in healthcare management at American University in Washington, DC. He is an industry visionary and has developed a unique approach of bringing key industry best practices that represent the future direction of where the entire healthcare industry is headed. He is a sought-after advisor, mentor and speaker, and has provided consulting services to various organizations in the governments, industry, startup and the non-for-profit fields. 

Prior to his role at American University, he was a Professor in the field of Healthcare Management, Policy & Strategy and the Program Director of the Master of Science in Management of Healthcare Informatics and Analytics (MHIA) at The George Washington University’s School of Public Health. Sam held key leadership roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). He was the leader of the Health Reform program office tasked with determining the consulting firm’s response to policy changes impacting the healthcare field and clients. He also led the firm’s New Venture Incubator where he was responsible for creating strategic integrated solutions that brought multi-competency skills, tools and technologies to clients. In that capacity, he was responsible for designing, developing and enabling over $500M in new revenue and partnerships. While he was leading these strategic initiatives, Sam continued to serve clients in order to apply his knowledge and to remain focused on their needs. He is recognized nationally for his expertise in Project and Program Management, Business Intelligence and Analytics, Business Continuity, Complex Clinical & Financial Systems Implementations, HIPAA, ARRA/ HITECH, Audit, Risks and Governance Consulting, and the Convergence of the business of healthcare with IT. 
 

Danielle Krakora
SaaS/PaaS Product Manager, Digital Solutions
Department of Veteran Affairs

Danielle Krakora is a community leader, veteran advocate and innovative strategist working for the VA Office of Information and Technology and a Fellow with the VHA Innovation Ecosystem. Danielle is committed to improving the patient experience by modernizing systems with new technology and applying a principle-based approach to her leadership. She inspires others to realize their potential and encourages the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit in the people she mentors. She has held numerous positions during her seven-year tenure with the VA and is nationally recognized for her innovative work across the organization.
 
Danielle served in the U.S. Amy, assigned to the 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment and was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III from 2005-2006.  While deployed, Danielle wrote for numerous military and civilian publications, detailing the reality of combat through the eyes of a female medic.  She worked alongside an Army civil affairs unit to provide medical care to women and children in need. This work inspired her to develop a non-profit organization that accepted donations of clothing, shoes, and toys from U.S. businesses and churches that she delivered to the children of Iraq during humanitarian missions. 
 
Shortly after returning home, Danielle transitioned into the Army Reserves and served numerous roles until leaving the Army in 2013 after nearly 10 years of exemplary service.  Danielle holds a B.S. and M.S. in health science from Cleveland State University and an Executive MBA from Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management.
 

Robert Goldel - Invited
Presidential Fellow, VA
Veteran Health Administration, Department of Veteran Affairs

Robert Goldel is a founder, neuroscientist, and data-driven technologist. His research has applied behavioral and neuroimaging methods to analyze core brain functions, including memory, learning, attention, and decision making. At Neumitra, his team launched the first smart watch to measure and manage the physiology of the autonomic nervous system with real-time biofeedback and self-learning software. Working with designers, engineers, and researchers, their technologies applied continuous biosensor data to personalize devices and software with statistical learning on mobile phones and backed by cloud-based analytics. Their software and algorithms showed how artificial intelligence can respond with empathy to manage brain health and cognitive functions across daily life demands for diverse populations.

Robert’s work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, Breakout Labs at the Thiel Foundation, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the founders and innovators of Boston Scientific, General Magic, iRobot, SmartCells, and Yahoo. His research and technologies have focused on applying continuous data streams to new types of software and user experiences for better understanding the human brain. As a Rock Health and MassChallenge alumnus, Robert has been inspired by efforts that catalyze ecosystems and infrastructures to build, grow, and sustain organizations for impacts and the people behind them. He is passionate about answering questions in daily brain functions, as for knowledge workers, families, enterprises, national defense, and social impacts towards advancing educational metrics, improving health, optimizing productivity, and increasing life expectancy.