Nir Menachemi said healthcare isn’t going to look the same when today’s students join the workforce.

The professor of Health Policy and Management at Indiana University, along with eight other health care professionals and educators, will speak on campus as part of the third annual Health Informatics Tri-State Summit.

Attendees usually consist of both students from the College of Nursing and Health Professions as well as regional health care representatives.

Menachemi said his presentation will be about population health and how different health care units can communicate information concerning a single patient.

“This concept is sweeping through the health care system,” he said. “We’re trying to provide care more efficiently (and) not as costly.”

Menachemi said he hopes his presentation fosters an interesting discussion.

“A direction (health care) is taking is a value-based road,” he said. “Rather than focusing on increasing the number of patients we give care to, Medicare is focusing on how your patients did in terms of whether your patients are doing significantly better (or) significantly worse.”

He said attending a conference such as the health summit enhances students’ knowledge of current technologies and practices and gives them an idea of what to expect from health care in the future.

“It’s an exciting time, but also a scary time if you don’t know how (technology and advancements) will impact your work,” Menachemi said.

Menachemi met Summit Chairperson and professor Gabriela Mustata Wilson at a national conference, where Wilson invited him to speak at the Health Summit.

“When I ask people to speak, they’re excited and all have ideas,” Wilson said. “Very rarely does someone say no.”

Wilson said when she plans the summit, she doesn’t want the conference to only focus on technology.

“We look for powerful patient stories and why it is important that hospitals work together,” she said. “Patients have to be involved in their own care, but providers need to be connected among themselves as well as with patients.”

Keynote speaker Kym Martin is a three-time cancer survivor who will open the summit with her personal story. The Shield reached out to Martin, but received no response.

As an assistant professor of Health Services and Administration, Wilson requires her students to attend the summit.

She said it shows people are interested in the university and how it contributes to health care in the region.

“We’re already a well established College of Nursing and Health Professions,” she said. “We were already expected to take this leading role in education. Now everybody knows to put (the summit) on their calendars.”