ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will headline the 2025 Lehigh Valley Health Care Summit on Dec. 5 at the Aster Event Center.
The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce will host the annual event, which brings together more than 150 health care professionals, business leaders and policymakers for a morning of policy discussions, industry insights and networking. Doors open at 7:15 a.m., with the program running from 8 to 10:30 a.m.
Oz will deliver the opening address, titled “The CMS Vision: Affordable and Accessible Care.” His appearance has drawn attention — and some pushback — from community members.
Oz, a former cardiothoracic surgeon at Columbia University and longtime television personality, was confirmed in March as the head of CMS in a party-line Senate vote. In his new role, he oversees Medicare, Medicaid and Healthcare.gov, programs that provide coverage to nearly half of all Americans.
Before his appointment, Oz faced criticism from medical experts for promoting unproven wellness products and alternative therapies on “The Dr. Oz Show.” He appeared in Medicare Advantage promotional videos and expressed support for private-plan expansion, prompting concerns from Democrats during his confirmation hearing.
In 2020, Oz used his platform to highlight hydroxychloroquine as a potential COVID-19 treatment, a claim later found unsupported by clinical evidence.
Summit organizers said the event aims to explore the forces shaping the region’s health care landscape. In addition to Oz’s keynote, attendees will hear from local leaders on health equity, access, technology, public health and evolving care models. Interactive exhibits and networking sessions will round out the morning.
The Chamber’s Healthcare Committee said the summit offers a chance for professionals to “connect, learn and collaborate.”
The summit will take place at the Aster Event Center, 621 Grange Road, Allentown.
Isabel Hope is a journalist and website designer based in Bethlehem, PA. She graduated with a degree in journalism from The University of Alabama in 2022, where she served as News Editor of the student newspaper. Isabel has lived in the Lehigh Valley for three years and is passionate about reporting for the communities she now calls home.