OLD LYME — On Wednesday, Dec. 15, at 6 p.m., the Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council (SECWAC) hosts Health Care Management Executive Gery Barry, who will give a presentation titled, “Healthcare Policy Insights from Around the Globe.” Barry is also a local SECWAC Member.
The in-person event will be held at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme on Ferry Rd. An online option will also be available.
This program and many following will be offered as a hybrid event – both in-person and available by Zoom. In-person attendance is preferred, as SECWAC tries to return to its regular meeting format.
Registration is requested for in-person attendees; click here to register as an in-person attendee.
In the interests of the safety of all, in-person attendees will need to produce evidence of vaccination and wear a mask throughout the event, except when asking a question. Apologies are offered in advance for any discomfort/inconvenience, but this will reduce the risk of infection and have the benefit of allowing a return to in-person events.
Registration is required to receive your Zoom link; click here to register as a virtual attendee.
If you are new to Zoom virtual meetings and would like to learn more about how to join a SECWC event, visit zoom.us for more information. Also, feel free to call 860-912-5718 for technical advice prior to the event. It will not be possible to resolve issues during the meeting. A link to the recording will be shared via email following the meeting.
Barry will discuss healthcare in the United States and around the world. Few, if any, policy issues in the US are as rancorous and intractable as those related to healthcare. Barry believes that breaking through the associated political paralysis starts with an objective, comprehensive understanding of the performance issues of our healthcare system.
He also believes that it is most helpful to dispassionately evaluate our system’s performance relative to other countries, while avoiding the temptation to make political presumptions of the desirability of policy changes, which simply mimic them.
Barry will speak to why evaluating our healthcare system requires a healthy appreciation for why changes in healthcare policy everywhere in the world are intrinsically difficult.
Barry is a senior advisor specializing in health care management and health insurance. He was most recently engaged with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health, where he reported directly to the Deputy Minister responsible for orchestrating the transformation of the Kingdom’s public healthcare system.
He began his career at Aetna, where he held a wide range of responsibilities before moving to Toronto as the Country Leader for Liberty Mutual Ins. Subsequently, Barry was recruited to be CEO of BlueCross BlueShield Louisiana, where he dealt with the ravages Hurricanes Katrina and Rita inflicted throughout the healthcare system in south Louisiana, and was tapped to lead the Louisiana Recovery Authority’s Task Force on Health Care Reform.
In 2010, Barry was hired by a San Diego-based healthcare management company to develop an international subsidiary, focused on managing cost, quality and safety of prescription drug use for public and private payers and large hospital systems. Based in Hong Kong, he and his team developed successful businesses in the Middle East and Mainland China, and engaged with senior government officials around the globe exploring the use of prescription drug management tools to benefit their health care systems, most notably India, Turkey, Sweden, and Qatar.
Barry retired in December of 2017, but continues to take on selective advisory roles such as the one in Saudi Arabia.
Annual membership of SECWAC is $95 per person, or $35 for Young Professionals under 35. Membership is always free for students and educators. Corporate memberships are available for $1,100 (unlimited memberships for employees of member organizations – contact SECWAC for more details).