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Intersection of Nature and Health
The World Health Organization has described the climate crisis as the “single biggest health threat facing humanity.” Empirical evidence increasingly demonstrates that spending time in nature has proven health benefits, while climate change and intensifying storm patterns have been linked to poorer health and additional stressors on health systems. Drawing from Senator BILL FRIST’s experience in medical practice, in operating working farms, and chairing the board of a major global conservation organization, he links the importance of preserving our planet and building green cities and health systems to improving future health outcomes.
Leadership Lessons from a Senator-Doctor-Investor
Senator BILL FRIST provides unique insights – and lessons learned – from a fascinating career that includes practicing at the highest levels of medicine – founding the Vanderbilt Multi-Organ Transplant Center at a time when transplants were often considered experimental; leading the United States Senate as the youngest member ever elected to that position; and today building dynamic healthcare businesses that solve for our nation’s greatest health challenges through value-based approaches.
Building a Successful Health Services Company
Perspective from BILL FRIST, a Partner and Executive Committee Chairman at the successful private equity firm Cressey and Company — which has invested and managed over $2 billion of healthcare investments, founding partner of Frist Cressey Ventures, and co-founder of Aspire Health. How private equity and venture capital contributes to building companies that offer solutions to problems that government can’t address, and can be profitable while pursuing a social mission.
Creating a Culture of Health
Health care is not the driver of health. Our behaviors, shaped by our physical and social environment, are the primary determinants of health and well-being. Knowing this, can a community create a culture of health that drives better health outcomes without costly interventions? BILL FRIST draws from personal experience establishing the collective-impact organization “NashvilleHealth,” and building businesses that address drivers of health outcomes further upstream.
Global health, International Relief, and Strategic Health Diplomacy
Reflections from personal experiences of practicing medicine and delivering care in 7 countries in Africa, as well as personally providing on the ground medical assistance immediately after Katrina, the Indian Ocean Tsunami, and the Haiti earthquake. This is centered on Senator BILL FRIST’s own medical volunteerism and his commitment to using “medicine as a currency for peace,” as well as his leadership role in enacting PEPFAR, a federal investment of nearly $100 billion in the global HIV/AIDS response, the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease in history, saving 21 million lives and counting.
Former Senate Majority Leader and physician Bill Frist is now the Chairman of the Global Board of The Nature Conservancy, illuminating the intersection of nature and health
Former Senate Majority Leader and acclaimed physician BILL FRIST has taken on the role of Chairman of the Global Board of The Nature Conservancy (TNC), expanding on his sought-after and influential leadership in American healthcare. Uniquely qualified to discuss the challenges and solutions in health policy, he is also committed to preserving the health of our planet, recognizing that population health is empirically linked to healthy ecosystems. In TNC’s announcement, Board Chair Fran Ulmer said of Frist: “His expertise in global policy and healthcare will greatly aid TNC in its commitment to create a world in which both people and nature can thrive.”
Frist brings an experienced voice to the current issues of health reform, education, government policy, climate change, global health issues, and volunteerism. His substantive and candid insights earn him rave consistent rave reviews at speaking engagements, such as: “Senator Frist was the 'Wow' factor for our HealthForum event. He spoke so knowledgeably about the current healthcare landscape in the U.S. Our clients were amazed at his grasp of the issues and his ability to educate us all to the intricacies involved in improving our healthcare 'sector' and making it a true 'system'. He could not have been a better speaker for our group. Senator Frist was approachable to all, spoke for a solid hour, took questions for a full 30 minutes and then stayed to speak with individuals through dinner. The feedback from our clients, who represent the full political spectrum, was phenomenal.” (Marsh)
Watch Bill Frist’s keynote and fireside chat at Distributed: Health >>
Bill Frist's Podcast 'A Second Opinion' aims to improve healthcare in the U.S.
BILL FRIST's A Second Opinion is a podcast with a mission: it aims to substantially improve health and healthcare in communities across America through education and engagement at the nexus of policy, medicine and innovation. In over 200 weekly episodes and counting, Frist addresses today's challenging healthcare issues from three distinct vantage points - policy, medicine, and innovation - speaking to clinicians as a physician, policymakers as a former Senator, and executives and investors as a business founder, investor and board member. Frist's keynotes showcase the same compelling combination of varied experience and perspective, weaving insights on technology, leadership, policy, innovation and medicine into the crucial conversation surrounding healthcare.
Frist's substantive and candid style makes him a smash hit at every engagement. Rave reviews include: "Senator Frist was the 'Wow' factor for our event. He spoke so knowledgeably about the current healthcare landscape in the U.S.... Our clients were amazed at his grasp of the issues and his ability to educate us all... He could not have been a better speaker... The feedback from our clients, who represent the full political spectrum, was phenomenal” (Marsh); "The event was fantastic and Senator Frist was a HUGE hit! He is so personable and allowed attendees to ask him questions after the luncheon and chat with him." (NIC Conference); "Senator Frist was absolutely fantastic and his feedback scores were 5/5 from all of the surveys submitted — perfect score!" (Livingston Economic Club)
Senator William Frist, MD, is a nationally recognized heart and lung transplant surgeon, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader, founding partner of Frist Cressey Ventures and chairman of the Executives Council of the health service investment firm Cressey & Company.
Dr. Frist is host of the popular podcast “A Second Opinion, Rethinking American Health”, which focuses on the intersection of health, policy and innovation. He is actively engaged in the business as well as the medical, humanitarian, and philanthropic communities.
As a U.S. Senator representing Tennessee from 1994 -2006 (the first practicing physician elected to the Senate since 1928), Dr. Frist was elected Majority Leader of the Senate, having served fewer total years in Congress than any person chosen to lead that body in history. His leadership was instrumental in the passage of the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act that established Medicare Advantage and the historic PEPFAR legislation that has provided life-saving treatment globally to 20 million people.
Senator Frist graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Medical School, and completed surgical training at Massachusetts General Hospital and Stanford. As the founder of the Vanderbilt Multi-Organ Transplant Center, he performed over 150 heart and lung transplants, authored over 100 peer-reviewed medical articles, and published seven books on topics such as bioterrorism, transplantation and leadership. He is board certified in both general and heart surgery.
As a leading authority on healthcare, Senator Frist speaks nationally on health reform, government policy, global health, and education reform. He is Co-Chair of the Health Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center and co-founder of Aspire Health, the nation’s largest non-hospice community-based palliative care company. His board service includes the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and four publicly-traded companies: AECOM, Select Medical, Teladoc Health, and Smile Direct Club.
Dr. Frist is married and has three sons and lives on a farm in Franklin, Tennessee.
My Speaker List
