MedAssets announced that it recently held its 15th annual Healthcare Business Summit in Las Vegas, which brought together nearly 4,000 healthcare providers, suppliers and business partners to network and exchange lessons learned for workable ways to create a more consumer-driven, value-based and data-centric healthcare system. The agenda included more than 80 sessions of continuing professional education as well as meetings between providers and approximately 580 of the nation's top manufacturers of healthcare supplies and services.

"The Healthcare Business Summit is designed to reward today's industry leaders with multiple opportunities to forge new business relationships, strengthen existing ones, as well as gain knowledge from esteemed colleagues to bring back fresh perspectives," said Halsey Wise, chairman and chief executive officer, MedAssets. "All key stakeholders must have a seat at the table, remain dissatisfied with the status quo and understand different disciplinary contributions and perspectives so that the best set of holistic solutions can be developed and adopted. Success relies on people working together to learn, embrace cultural change and share innovation.

"MedAssets has an opportunity to capture the vast amounts of data now available to improve the quality of healthcare in a more targeted, customized and personalized manner. We remain committed to continue to find ways to reduce the costs in our healthcare system and innovate to help organizations harness data to improve quality across your entire system of care," said Wise.

Keynote presentations included:

• Baylor Scott & White Health's CEO, Joel T. Allison, and President, COO and CMO, Dr. Robert W. Pryor, shared insights and lessons learned about the merger of the two Texas-based health systems to create an integrated delivery network focused on population health management.

• Leon Panetta, former U.S. secretary of U.S. Department of Defense and former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, was this year's keynote speaker. The leader of the military mission that ended the life of Osama bin Laden spoke to the audience of the importance of the American Dream and how citizens must continue to fight for it if America is to remain the greatest country in the world. Secretary Panetta also discussed his recent book, "Worthy Fights: A Memoir of Leadership in War and Peace," and shared his views on leadership.

Preserving and Enhancing the Quality of Life

Core to MedAssets company culture is the acknowledgement that MedAssets is committed to representing and serving an industry whose mission is to help and serve lives. It is for that reason that MedAssets celebrates clients' progress and achievements and recognizes remarkable individuals who have changed lives for the better. In that vein, award recipients for this year include:

• 2014 President's Award for a Client: Baylor Scott & White Health (BSWH) received the 2014 MedAssets President's Award as part of this year's Summit. The award recognizes BSWH for maintaining momentum for sustained operational and performance improvement across the enterprise.

• 2014 President's Award for a Supplier: This year's winner, Tom Finucane, vice president, Health Systems, Cardinal Health, was recognized for his work in demonstrating superior contract value and exemplary sales and market share growth to MedAssets clients.

• 2014 Diverse Supplier Award: Language Service Associates was recognized for its support in building strong and diverse communities to help improve the quality of healthcare.

• 2014 Norman Borlaug Humanitarian Award: Simone Joye was honored for her outstanding humanitarian efforts in developing Atlanta-based Young People Matter, a program that provides a place of hope and healing for the city's at-risk, homeless and runaway children. Watch the video.

• 2014 George Herbert Walker Bush Pacesetter Award: LT (SEAL) Thomas Norris, U.S. Navy (Ret.), and Medal of Honor recipient, was recognized for leading a difficult search and rescue mission behind enemy lines during the Vietnam War. Watch the video.

• 2014 Hire Heroes Pacesetter Award: Dave Sobocinski, partner Carter Baldwin Executive Search, was recognized for his volunteer efforts that have helped veterans find jobs. Sobocinski has also been instrumental in increasing awareness and funding for the Hire Heroes USA organization.

• The American Fallen Soldiers Project: Benjamin B. Wise, a Green Beret with the U.S. Army's 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group and Jeremy Wise, a former Navy SEAL, were honored for their sacrifice. Artist Phil Taylor of AFSP, presented their portrait to the audience and to their parents. Ben died of wounds sustained during combat in Afghanistan two years after his older brother, Jeremy, was killed in a suicide bombing at Forward Operating Base Chapman near the eastern Afghan city of Khost.