The 2023 Frank Norfleet Forum for the Advancement of Health is set for Friday, October 20, from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Held for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, this prestigious health forum will focus on artificial intelligence (AI) in health care and how it could be used to improve patient outcomes.
The first Norfleet Forum was held in 1980 at UTHSC. The conference was created to focus on the improvement of health in the community, the state, and around the world through discussion of health policies and developments. It was funded by a gift to the university in honor of Memphis businessman Frank M. Norfleet through the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis. Topics have included kidney disease in the African American community, childhood obesity, alcohol use disorders, and sickle cell disease.
The 2023 Norfleet Forum focuses on understanding the fundamental principles of artificial intelligence and health care and how technological advances could affect outcomes. Keynote speakers for this year are Lynne E. Parker, PhD, from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, focusing on unlocking the potential of AI in health care across Tennessee, and Philip Payne, PhD, from Washington University in St. Louis, speaking on digitally transforming health care and decision making. Robert W. Williams, PhD, chair of the Department of Genetics, Genomics, and Informatics in the UTHSC College of Medicine, will offer closing remarks.
Sponsored by the Department of Genetics, Genomics, and Informatics, the forum will be held in Room 201 of the Mooney Building, 875 Monroe Ave., on the Memphis campus. The event is free and open to physicians, nurses, other health care providers, fellows, residents, students, and the public. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Registration is required and continuing education credits are available.
The forum’s format is designed to provide interactive educational activities and allow local experts and leading scientists to discuss evidence-based data related to artificial intelligence and health care. It will include panel discussions and question-and-answer sessions, as well as networking among health care professionals. The day’s full agenda is available at the Norfleet Forum webpage.