Like a proverbial Gordian knot, health care perplexes both businesses and communities. So any effort to untangle at least a few of the threads, and to shine a light on those leaders making headway, is always welcome.

That’s why it was refreshing to pop into the Business Journal’s recent Health Care Leadership Forum, which drew hundreds of industry professionals to downtown’s L.A. Grand Hotel for a midday dose of inspiration and ideas.

The event’s wide-ranging panel discussion focused on progress that’s being made on a number of fronts.

Susan Love, who heads the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation, touted the strides made by her organization’s “Army of Women” and their work with an array of researchers.

“We’re trying to figure out the anatomy of the breast,” Love said. “We’re working on 3D modeling of the breast that will allow us to create new treatments. We have a vaccine for cervical cancer — we can do that for cancer of the breast.”

Jim Mangia, president and chief executive at the St. John’s Well Child and Family Center, leaned into the gains that happen when providers put the focus on the “community” part of community health centers.

“For us, recruitment means going to South L.A. to find talent, and there’s a lot there,” Mangia said. “We’re looking for doctors who are culturally competent. The best case for us is hiring someone from the community we serve.”

Carmen Cole, a principal at law firm Polsinelli, spoke to the importance of addressing the industry’s challenges with workplace violence, which is far more prevalent in health care than in other sectors.

“Workplace violence happens almost every day in emergency rooms, acute care facilities and nursing facilities,” Cole said. “We need mechanisms in place for how to deal with workplace violence. We need a plan for addressing behavioral issues, for reporting them and for solving the problem.”