LVBCH Announces 46th Annual Conference

Featuring the Return of Ford Koles and the Annual “State of the Healthcare Industry” Update  

Lehigh Valley Business Coalition on Healthcare (LVBCH) has announced its 46th Annual Conference “From Anxiety to Insight: Decoding the New Employer Mindset” on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at DeSales University.

“The Coalition is excited to welcome back top-rated and nationally-recognized Ford Koles of the Advisory Board for the annual State of the Healthcare Industry update,” said Carl Seitz, President, LVBCH. “His presentation will complete a full-day agenda focusing on identifying what is driving employer anxiety and offering tools to help employers understand trends and manage expectations.”

“State of the Healthcare Industry,” Ford Koles, Advisory Board

Join us as Ford Koles, National Spokesperson, Advisory Board, breaks down the forces reshaping healthcare in 2026. Including what’s driving these forces and how leaders can respond with clarity. The healthcare industry is entering a pivotal period not marked by a single disruptor, but by a broad diffusion of control as social and political support erodes. Assumptions about access, cost management, and clinical decision making are being challenged by funding cuts, rising costs, and shifting consumer trust. Leaders must understand the new power dynamics and regional ripple effects to navigate a future where control is increasingly distributed across the ecosystem.

Additional presentations feature clinical and industry thought-leaders presenting on a variety of topics most of interest to today’s employers, including:

  • “Beyond Benefits: Transforming Mental Health Support in the Workplace,” David Kraus, PHD, Outcome Referrals Inc
  • “How to Sleep at Night: Understanding and Managing High-Cost Claims,” Christine Hale, MD, Gallagher
  • “Better Outcomes, Lower Costs, Improved Member Experience: Employer Case Studies in Data-Driven Health Plans,” Aaron Davis, Switchbridge, and Stuart Sutley, Bolton Innovation Group
  • “AI in Healthcare: A Quality Committee Panel Discussion,” Matthew McCambride, MD, Jefferson Health, Donna Sabol, St. Luke’s University Health Network, and Jeremy Wigginton, MD, Capital Blue Cross, Moderated by Kristen Wenrich, City of Bethlehem

Speakers and sponsors will be welcomed to the 46th Annual Conference at a Welcome Reception the evening prior, presented by LVBCH’s 2026 Premier Sponsor – Capital Blue Cross.

LVBCH would also like to thank all of our sponsors and exhibitors, without whom this event would not be possible. In addition to our presenting sponsor, platinum sponsor include Express Scripts, Johnson & Johnson, Marsh McLennan Agency, Merck, Novo Nordisk, Progyny, St. Luke’s Care Network, and United Concordia Dental. Exhibitors also include the following gold sponsors – AEC Rx, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cognito Analytics, Corporate Synergies, EBC Printing, EyeMed, Gallagher, Health Advocate, Health Care Originals, HCSC/Miller Keystone, Keenan-Nagle Advertising, Marathon Health, Metlife, and RX Talents. This year’s extended exhibit area will again welcome a variety of local non-profits, colleges, and universities.

All are invited to attend and to participate in the networking opportunity with colleagues and exhibitors. To learn more or register now visit: https://www.lvbch.com/events/lvbch-46th-annual-conference/.