IHI is delighted to announce this year's National Forum plenary speakers who will be presenting during the General Conference on December 12 and 13.

Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPP, FRCP

Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPP, FRCP, is President and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI).  He is one of the nation's leading authorities on health care quality and improvement. He is also clinical professor of pediatrics and health care policy at the Harvard Medical School. Dr. Berwick has served as vice chair of the US Preventive Services Task Force, the first “Independent Member” of the Board of Trustees of the American Hospital Association, and as chair on the National Advisory Council of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. An elected member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), Dr. Berwick now serves on the IOM’s Governing Council. Dr. Berwick is the author of numerous articles and books, including Curing Health Care and Escape Fire.

Rosabeth Moss Kanter, PhD 

Rosabeth Moss Kanter, PhD, holds the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professorship at Harvard Business School, where she specializes in strategy, innovation, and leadership for change. Her strategic and practical insights have guided leaders of large and small organizations worldwide for over 25 years, through teaching, writing, and direct consultation to major corporations and governments. The former Editor of Harvard Business Review (1989-1992), she has been named to lists of the “50 most powerful women in the world” (Times of London), and the “50 most influential business thinkers in the world” (Accenture and Thinkers 50 research). In 2001, she received the Academy of Management’s Distinguished Career Award for her scholarly contributions to management knowledge. Professor Kanter is the author or co-author of 16 books, including The Change Masters and her latest book, Confidence: How Winning Streaks and Losing Streaks Begin and End. Her current work continues her focus on the transformation of major institutions such as global corporations, health care delivery systems, and other organizations seeking innovative new models.

David Whyte

David Whyte grew up among the hills and valleys of Yorkshire, England. A captivating speaker with a compelling blend of profound poetry and insightful commentary, David is one of the few poets to take his perspectives on creativity into the field of organizational development, where he works with a wide and diverse international clientele. He holds a degree in Marine Zoology, and is an Associate Fellow of Templeton College and the Said Business School at the University of Oxford. He has traveled extensively, including working as a naturalist guide and leading anthropological and natural history expeditions in the Galapagos, the Andes and the Himalyayas. He brings this wealth of experience to his poetry, his lectures and his workshops.

Lawrence L. Weed, MD

Lawrence L. Weed, MD, President and Founder, PKC Corporation, is most prominently recognized in the field of health information management as the "Father of the Problem-Oriented Medical Record (POMR)." Dr. Weed developed the concept of POMR and subjective, objective, analytical, and planning (SOAP) problem-oriented progress notes on each problem, which serve as the core of documentation and education in major medical institutions and are used by countless health care practitioners. His work in medical informatics began while he was a professor of medicine at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. Prior to joining the University of Vermont, Dr. Weed held various positions in both academic and health care institutions.