The UB-based Health Care Industries Association (HCIA) will celebrate a decade of generating regional economic growth and development during its 10th annual meeting, to be held March 13 in the Buffalo/Niagara Marriott, 1340 Millersport Highway, Amherst.

More than 200 scientists, health-care providers and representatives from business, industry, education and government will attend and participate in lectures, discussions and panels related to the growing and ever-changing health-care industry.

Blair Childs, executive vice president for strategic planning and implementation with Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), will deliver the opening keynote address at 8 a.m. on "How Will the New Administration Affect Your Business?: A Washington Update." AdvaMed is a national trade association and the largest medical-technology association in the world.

Lunch at 12:30 p.m. will feature a speech by Steven A. Spaulding, founding executive director of the Louisville (Ky.) Medical Center Development Corp.

With almost $2 billion of business investment and the creation of 50,000 net new jobs in the past three years, Louisville has been called "a blueprint for success."

Speaking at the awards dinner at 6 p.m. will be William F. Allyn, chairman and chief executive officer of Welch Allyn Ventures, L.L.C., a world leader and innovator in medical and dental diagnostics, veterinary medicine, lighting, remote visual inspection and data collection.

Lawrence Jacobs, Irvin and Rosemary Smith Professor of Neurology in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, will receive the Western New York Health Care Technology/Discovery Award for research that has led to improved treatment of multiple sclerosis.

The registration deadline for the event is Tuesday. The cost is $179 for non-HCIA members and $149 for members. All UB faculty and staff members are considered HCIA members.

To register, call 829-3888, fax 829-3885 or email weimer@acsu.buffalo.edu.