Palo Alto, CA – January 18, 2005 – Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network has asked Richard M. Levy, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO of Varian Medical Systems, to address its first annual State of the Valley Conference on an approach to addressing the problems of rising costs and complexity in healthcare. Levy will talk about the leading role that Silicon Valley can play in improving the affordability, efficiency, quality and effectiveness of healthcare. Levy’s keynote address, “Our Troubled Health Care System: An Opportunity and Obligation for Silicon Valley,‿ will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, January 20, 2006 at Parkside Hall in San Jose.
Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network has designed the “town-meeting-style‿ conference to bring together concerned citizens, thought leaders, elected officials, educators, business executives, labor and workforce leaders from the Silicon Valley for dialogue and discussion about the many challenges and opportunities faced here. The event begins at 8 a.m. and will run through 1:30 p.m.
In addition to Levy’s keynote presentation, the conference will feature a variety of presentations and briefings, as well as two panel discussions, one with CEOs of Silicon Valley corporations, and one with local university presidents and chancellors. These discussions will focus on issues highlighted in the Silicon Valley Index, a nationally recognized publication that measures the strength of the economy and the health of the community, and provides an analytical foundation for leadership and decision making.
Levy has been CEO of Varian Medical Systems since 1999 and has worked with Varian’s medical business for 37 years. In addition to chairing the Varian Medical Systems Board of Directors, Levy sits on the Board of Pharmacyclics, Inc., the Board of Trustees of Palo Alto Medical Foundation, California Healthcare Institute, and he has been newly appointed to the Board of Sutter Health. He is an active participant in summits for CCI (Center for Corporate Innovation, Inc.), which focus on improvement of the national healthcare system. He is a past Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Electronics Association, America's largest high-technology trade organization; and he served on the Board of Directors of the Diagnostic Imaging and Therapy Systems Division of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association.
ABOUT VARIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS
Varian Medical Systems, Inc. of Palo Alto, California is the world's leading manufacturer of integrated cancer therapy systems, which are used to treat thousands of patients per day. The company is also a premier supplier of X-ray tubes and flat-panel digital subsystems for imaging in medical, scientific, and industrial applications. Varian Medical Systems employs approximately 3,500 people who are located at manufacturing sites in North America and Europe and in its 56 sales and support offices around the world. Additional information is available on the company's investor relations web site at http://www.varian.com/.
ABOUT JOINT VENTURE: SILICON VALLEY NETWORK
Established in 1993, Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network provides analysis and action on issues affecting our region's economy and quality of life. The organization brings together established and emerging leaders — from business, government, academia, labor and the broader community — to spotlight issues and work toward innovative solutions. Our overarching goal is to nurture the unique habitat that makes the Bay Area a world capital for innovation and entrepreneurship —building and re-building a sustainable region that competes globally.