One panel will look at who’s going to pay for health care. The other will look at who’s actually getting paid from AI.
Together, they make up the Newark Regional Business Partnership’s annual Regional Economic Outlook, set for Thursday, Nov. 12. This year’s theme is “Healthcare, Tech and the Economy,” a nod to two forces the NRBP says are reshaping New Jersey’s economy and the opportunities in Greater Newark.
The event runs from 9 a.m. to noon at University Hospital/Rutgers School of Dental Medicine in Newark.
Registration is available at the NRBP website.
The morning opens with the numbers.
An economist from TD Bank, sponsor of the NRBP’s Real Estate, Economic and Development Series, will give the economic outlook presentation.
Then the conversation turns to health care, and the stakes are high in a city where hospitals and insurers rank among the biggest employers.
The first panel, “Coverage at a Crossroads: What the Medicaid Changes Mean for Greater Newark’s Economy,” will look at how changes to Medicaid could affect coverage, jobs and the hospital systems and insurers that anchor the region’s economy. It will also explore how leaders can manage the transition.
Andrea Martinez-Mejia, Executive Director of the Greater Newark Health Care Coalition, will moderate. Panelists are:
- Chrissy Buteas, CEO, Healthcare Institute of New Jersey;
- Dr. Stephen Cha, Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Human Services;
- George Helmy, Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, RWJBarnabas Health;
- Carole Johnson, CEO, University Hospital;
- Mildred Menos, Director of Medicaid Product Administration, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.
The second panel takes on a question a lot of CEOs are asking privately: Is AI paying off yet?
“The Productivity Puzzle: Is the AI Payoff Real, and Who’s Capturing It?” will look at whether the promised productivity gains from artificial intelligence are showing up, and who’s in position to benefit. The discussion will move from big-picture economic trends down to what AI means for Newark’s businesses, institutions and workers.
Dee C. Marshall, CEO of Ai Training Plus, will moderate. Panelists are:
- Simone Lenzu, Economist, Federal Reserve Bank;
- Gary Mann, Founder and CEO, Jasfel Analytics;
- Mark Negus, Global Data Center Investments and Portfolio Management, PGIM.
