WCA kicks off Health Tech ’14 on Wednesday

More than 400 people are expected to attend a two-day conference this week on innovation and technology in Westchester”™s health care industry sponsored by the Westchester County Association.

“Health Tech ”™14: Fueling Innovation in Westchester” will feature about 40 experts in health care, biotechnology, medical technology, technology transfer, law, finance and crowdfunding in panel discussions and keynote presentations.

The inaugural conference, for which the WCA has raised more than $200,000 from sponsoring health care, biotech and technology companies, will be Wednesday and Thursday at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Tarrytown.

The day-one session, which starts at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, is designed to help entrepreneurs take their ideas to the next level, WCA organizers said.

An opening panel, “Entrepreneurs”™ Edge,” will offer advice on crowdfunding, starting a company, access to financing, law and contracts. It will be followed by “Pitch to the Pros,” when young companies already in Westchester or willing to locate here can pitch their “bright idea” for their business to a panel of judges. The winner will receive a $10,000 cash grant and be accepted in the WCA”™s Blueprint Accelerator Network for early-stage companies.

Fueling innovation is the theme of the daylong Thursday session. Morning and afternoon keynote addresses will be given by Brian Kolonick, director of the Healthcare Innovation Alliance at Cleveland Clinic, and Dr. Steven Safyer, CEO of Montefiore Health System.

At Thursday”™s opening panel, “Re-imaging healthcare,” executives at four biotech companies in Westchester and the telemedicine director at Burke Medical Research Institute will discuss breakthroughs in health care technology in therapeutics, research, medical treatments, rehabilitation and product development. Breakout morning panel sessions will look at opportunities for technology transfer and commercial opportunities and the role of mobile technology in transforming health care and personal wellness.

Afternoon panels will address trends in health care real estate and how hospitals in Westchester are adapting to change and technological innovation in the health care industry.

In a special presentation at 2 p.m. Thursday, the master inventor at IBM”™s Watson Technologies, J. William Murdock, will present the IBM supercomputer”™s application in the health care space and show how Watson can be used by medical professionals in diagnosis and treatment.

Conference tickets are $225 for one day and $425 for the two-day session. To register or for more information, go to the WCA”™s conference website at healthtech2014.com.