UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Alison Beam will deliver the 26th Annual Stanley P. Mayers Endowed Lecture, “Balancing Act: The Crucial Interplay of Public and Private Sectors in Health Care,” at 6 p.m. on April 2 in the Hintz Family Alumni Center at Penn State University Park. For individuals located outside the area who wish to attend, the lecture will be offered via Zoom webinar. The lecture, hosted by the Penn State Department of Health Policy and Administration, is free and open to the public.
Prior to Beam’s talk, finalists from the Marshal Raffel Student Showcase will present their posters. Poster presentations will begin at 5 p.m., with the student awards ceremony beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Beam, who graduated from Penn State in 2008 with a degree in health policy and administration, serves as senior vice president and chief government affairs officer for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where she is responsible for leading the enterprise’s government relations at the local, state, federal and international levels, as well as directing policy and charitable giving.
In the United States, the interdependency between the public and private sectors of the health care system is crucial to achieving improved health and wellness for our communities.
“The government plays a critical role in regulating and paying for health care services but also relies heavily on private sector industries to manage and administer care,” Beam said. “As we work to improve our health care delivery system, we must first have a deep appreciation of the current landscape, appreciating that health care challenges are multifaceted and no single sector can address them in isolation.”
Beam’s talk will delve into the intricate web of health care in the United States and explore the indispensable relationship between the public and private sectors. She will also discuss how the two sectors’ collaboration, often described as a delicate balancing act, impacts access, quality and affordability of health care services for millions of Americans.
“Collaboration between sectors in health care is a powerful strategy that can yield numerous benefits, ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes, increased efficiency and advancements in medical research,” Beam said.
Beam hopes attendees will leave the talk with a deeper understanding of the reliance of and interplay between the public and private sectors of health care, including the strengths and challenges of both systems and the necessary roles they play in health care delivery.
“By diving into the vulnerabilities of both systems, I hope to challenge minds to discover how we may be able to overcome weaknesses and strengthen the collective system for a more integrated and efficient health care system,” Beam said. “I hope students are intrigued with the career opportunities provided by both sectors and consider a career path that allows them to experience both.”
The annual Mayers Lecture was created in honor of the late Stanley P. Mayers, Jr., co-founder of Penn State’s undergraduate program in health planning and administration, which was later renamed health Policy and administration. Mayers retired after a distinguished 26-year career at Penn State. Mayers served as the head of the department for nine years and also in roles as associate dean for undergraduate studies and associate dean for academic studies in the College of Health and Human Development.
See details on the 26th Annual Stanley P. Mayers Endowed Lecture and learn more about the Penn State Department of Health Policy and Administration.