Navy Surgeon General and Chief, U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Vice Adm. Forrest Faison, served as a keynote speaker at the inaugural American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC) health innovation day, April 19.

The event focused on technology management processes, policy constraints and enablers, and constraints with innovation among senior military and civilian leaders in industry, government, academia and the health care community.

"Convenience and technology are fundamentally changing the way health care is delivered in America," Faison said. "Most patients now choose convenience over continuity."

Faison emphasized the positive changes made through innovation in medicine, the future of modern medicine and the challenges to overcome with innovation globally and in the changing landscape of American medicine.

"It's time to look at the system, find the opportunities there and ultimately drive to a future emboldened by better health care at lower costs with better outcomes and more efficiency," he said.

Other keynote speakers included Todd Simpson, chief product officer and executive director of the application development division at the Department of Health and Human Services; Charles Worthington, chief technology officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs; and Scott Blackburn, executive in charge for the office of information and technology at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACT-IAC is a nonprofit 501c (3) public-private partnership dedicated to improving government through the application of information technology. ACT-IAC provides a forum where government and industry executives can communicate, collaborate and learn.

Navy Medicine is a global health care network of 63,000 personnel that provides health care support to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps and their families and veterans, in high operational tempo environments, at expeditionary medical facilities, medical treatment facilities, hospitals, clinics, hospital ships and research units around the world.

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