Standout roster of executives and experts will explore AI-driven transformation and the leadership demands of complex organizations
As the health care industry faces mounting cost pressures and increasing demands for improved outcomes, Northwood University will convene executives, physicians, administrators, technologists, and emerging leaders from across Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Region and beyond for the inaugural Health Care Leadership and Innovation Summit on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, on Northwood’s Midland campus.
The summit will explore the leadership, economic, technological, and AI–driven forces reshaping health care and other complex, people-centered industries. The event will address the need for visionary leadership approaches to improve clinical outcomes and reduce unnecessary costs.
“This summit reflects Northwood University’s commitment to preparing principled, entrepreneurial leaders for industries experiencing rapid technological and systemic change,” said Academic Vice President and Provost Dr. Kristin Stehouwer. “While health care is the focus, the leadership insights shared throughout the day will resonate with executives and professionals across sectors who are navigating digital transformation, AI integration, workforce challenges, and evolving stakeholder expectations.”
The summit’s keynote will be provided by Edward Marx, founder and CEO of Marx Advisory and former global chief information officer for the Cleveland Clinic.
“Edward Marx is one of the most respected practitioner voices in health care AI — known for translating complex technology into responsible, human-centered leadership decisions grounded in real-world health system experience,” Stehouwer explained. “In a field crowded with AI hype, Edward Marx is trusted for clarity, credibility, and a deeply human view of technology’s role in health care leadership.”
The Health Care Leadership and Innovation Summit builds on the recent launch of Northwood’s new MBA in Health Leadership and Innovation, a program designed to equip professionals with the business acumen, leadership skills, and systems-thinking mindset needed to drive change in highly regulated, technology-enabled environments. The program emphasizes health care economics, information technology, global systems awareness, and innovation strategies that address rising costs, persistent inefficiencies, and long-term sustainability. The program blends Northwood’s free-enterprise foundation with specialized coursework in strategy, innovation, information technology, and organizational leadership.
The summit is being facilitated under the leadership of Dr. George Kikano, a nationally recognized physician executive who joined Northwood in 2025 as executive director for health care management curriculum innovation. With more than three decades of experience in academic medicine, health system transformation, and community health, Kikano is helping to advance Northwood’s health care education offerings to meet 21st-century demands.
“Today’s leaders must manage far more than clinical or operational excellence,” Kikano said. “Health care outcomes remain uneven while spending continues to rise, in part because the current system allows dysfunction across pharmaceuticals, payors, and delivery models. Leaders are being asked to integrate disruptive technologies, including IT and AI, manage data-driven decision-making, refine well-being and prevention strategies that reduce long-term costs, and lead through constant disruption. This summit is designed to offer practical, real-world perspectives that are valuable not only to health care leaders, but to executives across industries facing similar transformation pressures.”
The summit will feature a full day of programming, including panel discussions, networking opportunities, and a keynote address titled “Tech That Cares” by Marx, a nationally recognized authority on health care technology, cybersecurity, and digital transformation.
“Edward Marx was focused on human-centered AI before it was fashionable,” Kikano explained. “Unlike many AI speakers who come from consulting, academia, or venture capital, Edward Marx has led large-scale IT and innovation initiatives at some of the nation’s most prominent health systems. As former global CIO of the Cleveland Clinic, he oversaw enterprise-wide IT modernization, cybersecurity strategy, and digital transformation in highly regulated, high-risk clinical environments. His career spans roles across both provider and supplier landscapes, offering a 360-degree perspective on how technology, leadership, and organizational culture intersect.”
In addition to the keynote, the summit will feature sessions about tactically astute leadership, the responsible and strategic use of information technology and artificial intelligence as force multipliers, global perspectives on health care systems, and the economic realities shaping decision-making in health care and other highly complex organizations. Speakers include:
• Cathy Baase, member of the National Advisory Board for the Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation and former long-time chief health officer and global director of health services for Dow
• Beth Charlton, president and CEO of Covenant HealthCare
• Dr. Nicholas Cozzi, assistant professor of emergency medicine at Rush University Medical Center
• Robert G. David, president and CEO of McLaren Central Michigan
• Terry Moore, a renowned former health care network president who served 31 years as president of the Midland Hospital and then the MidMichigan Health System (now MyMichigan Health)
• Dr. Derek Mydlarz, global chief medical officer, Dow
• Dr. Lydia Watson, president and CEO of MyMichigan Health
“By hosting the Health Care Leadership and Innovation Summit, Northwood University continues to strengthen its position as a business school that understands how leadership, technology, economics, and strategy converge in today’s economy,” Kikano said. “Understanding how health care systems operate globally — and how organizations outside the U.S. manage costs and outcomes — can help spark innovation and meaningful change here at home. We’re talking about preparing leaders to think broadly, act decisively, and lead responsibly in an era defined by innovation.”
“This summit is about more than a single day of conversation,” Stehouwer added. “It signals to the region — and beyond — that Northwood University is a hub for forward-thinking leadership education that prepares professionals to lead across sectors, industries, and disciplines.”
The Health Care Leadership and Innovation Summit is open to health care professionals, executives, and leaders from other industries who are interested in advancing their impact through strategic, entrepreneurial leadership. To register, visit https://community.northwood.edu/e/2026summit/
