North Alabama Healthcare for All presents …

                         Oliver Fein, MD

President, Physicians for a National Health Program

Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow

Past Vice President of the American Public Health Association

All three events are FREE and open to the public

For more information:  (256) 489-3884  Lahaynes@knology.net

1) Friday, Feb. 26,  6:00 p.m.
“Healthcare Reform 2010: Where Do We Go From Here?”

Physicians understand the urgent need for healthcare reform — for the good of patients, the profession and the U.S. economy. However, according to Dr. Fein, the present legislation in Congress is not going far enough AND is headed in the wrong direction. This talk, by a leading advocate of an expanded and improved Medicare for All (single payer) program, will describe what’s really happening with our healthcare system and where we need to go from here to reach universal, high quality coverage at an affordable cost for all. Audience Q&A will follow.

The presentation will include updates and responses to President Obama’s healthcare summit to be held in Washington, DC, on the day prior to this event.

Speaker: Oliver Fein, MD, president, Physicians for a National Health Program, (www.pnhp.org)

Location: Shelby Center for Science and Technology, UA Huntsville Campus. Room 107 Auditorium. (near intersection of Sparkman Drive and Lakeside  http://www.uah.edu/map/color_map.pdf )

Co-sponsors: UA Huntsville Political Science Department and Alabama A&M University Political Science Department
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2) Saturday, Feb. 27, 10 – 11:30 a.m.
“Healthcare Justice: The Moral Imperative for Universal Healthcare from a Christian Perspective”

This event offers an overview of problems with the healthcare system, the status of reform legislation, and an affordable solution aimed at just and equitable healthcare for all. We begin by laying out an ethical framework for the discussion. Speakers then address various aspects of healthcare justice and the moral imperative they see as central to the Christian perspective. Audience Q&A will follow.

Location: Faith Presbyterian Church, 5003 Whitesburg Drive, Huntsville. Fellowship Hall. (near intersection of Airport and Whitesburg)
Speakers:
+  Oliver Fein, MD, president, Physicians for a National Health Program (New York, NY)

+  Arthur Sutherland, MD, board member, Tennessee Health Care Campaign, and national board member of PNHP  (Memphis, TN)

+  Abi Carlisle-Wilke, M.Div., Senior Associate Pastor, Trinity United Methodist Church (Huntsville, AL)

+  An additional local minister is being added to the panel.

Moderator: Rev. Frank Broyles, Interfaith Mission Service
Supported by: Interfaith Mission Service;  Indian Creek Primitive Baptist Association;  Greater Huntsville Interdenominational Fellowship.

Coffee, fruit and pastries will be available.
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3)  Saturday, Feb. 27, 1 – 3 p.m.
“Point / Counterpoint: Fixing the American Health System”

Physicians from opposite ends of the policy spectrum will present their solutions to our health care crisis. Dr. Oliver Fein, president of PNHP, will present the case for expanding and improving Medicare to all. Dr. Allan Goldstein, Alabama delegate to the American Medical Association, will focus on quality of healthcare as a way to reduce costs, and the reforms necessary to reach that goal. Audience Q&A will follow. 

Location: Crestwood Medical Center, One Hospital Drive, Huntsville. First floor auditorium.  (near intersection of Airport and Whitesburg)
Speakers:
+  Oliver Fein, MD, president, Physicians for a National Health Program  (New York, NY)
+  Allan Goldstein, MD, past president, Medical Society of the State of Alabama; current delegate to the American Medical Association representing Alabama.  (Birmingham, AL)

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Speaker Biographies:
 

Oliver T. Fein, MD   (New York, NY)

Dr. Fein is president of Physician for a National Health Program, a nonprofit organization of over 17,000 physicians who support single-payer national health insurance. He is a general internist who is active in clinical practice, he is also professor of clinical medicine and clinical public health at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, where he serves as associate dean responsible for the Office of Affiliations and the Office of Global Health Education.  Dr. Fein has advocated for an expanded role for primary care, for academic health centers in urban health care delivery systems, and for national health system reform. He was Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow during 1993-1994, when he worked in the office of Senate Democratic Majority Leader George Mitchell. He spent 17 years at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center developing community-based ambulatory care practices and the Division of General Medicine.  He is chair of the New York State Chapter of PNHP and immediate past vice president of the American Public Health Association. Dr. Fein received the Elnora M. Rhodes Service award from the Society of General Internal Medicine in 1999; the Haven Emerson Award from the Public Health Association of New York City in 2001; and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowships Program in 2008.

Allan R. Goldstein, MD   (Birmingham, AL)

Dr. Goldstein is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and a graduate of “The” Ohio State University School of Medicine. He has been in practice since 1972 and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Diseases. He continues to have an active practice and serves as both a Primary Care Physician and a Consultant. He has been involved in organized medicine for over 30 years.  He has served on the Board of the Jefferson County Medical Society and has been its President. He has served on the Board of Censors of The Medical Association of the State of Alabama, been a member of both the Board of Medical Examiners and the State Committee of Public Health and has been the President of The Medical Association of the State of Alabama. Presently, he is a Delegate to the AMA , representing Alabama.  He is a patient advocate and supports quality and efficient care initiatives that will lead to reduced cost by decreasing the need for unscheduled visits, Emergency Department visits and hospitalization. He is a strong advocate for the patient-doctor relationship and for patient focused care.

Arthur J. Sutherland III, MD, FACC   (Memphis, TN)

 Dr. Sutherland is a retired physician and founder of the Sutherland Cardiology Clinic. He currently works with The Healthy Memphis Common Table which is addressing the obesity and diabetes epidemics in Memphis and the Mid-South. Improving health literacy and elimination of social and health related disparities are high priority agenda issues. Dr. Sutherland is also a member of the Memphis School of Servant Leadership and works with the Memphis Theological Seminary in its urban ministry program. He is currently serving as chairman of the Tennessee chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program and is on the national PNHP Board of Directors.  In addition, he is on the state Board of Directors for the Tennessee Health Care Campaign. Both PNHP and THCC have been working for health care justice for over 20 years.

North Alabama Healthcare for All is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization promoting a healthcare system which provides quality healthcare at an affordable cost to all Americans. We believe healthcare is a human right.

The most effective and cost efficient way to accomplish healthcare for all is through an expanded and improved Medicare-for-all type system. (This is also called universal single payer healthcare, government-funded healthcare, or national health insurance.)

We are a chapter of the national organization Physicians for a National Health Program. Like our parent group, we are not just physicians — membership is open to anyone.

For more information or to sign up for our email list, go to www.NorthAlabamaHealthcareForAll.org

As we spoke with people … many had never heard of the “Medicare for All” idea … and wondered where it has been this whole debate.  Of course, it’s been suppressed by Congresspeople at the bidding of their insurance/drug/medical campaign donors.  That’s why we have to continue informing more people and encouraging them to join our efforts — and then, together, we can press Congress to listen to us, for a change.

Big thanks go to our wonderful team of volunteers:

Pippa Abston — wristbands

Aleta Appling — booth volunteer

David Barry — booth volunteer

Lameka Carter — booth volunteer

Gloria Guay — booth volunteer

Jennifer Humiston — booth volunteer

Stephanie Monahon — volunteer scheduling

Robyn Moore — booth volunteer

Doug Roth — booth volunteer and copies of materials

Anis Salib — copies of materials

Margaret Stephens — bandaids with our logo

Stef Watson — webmaster and booth volunteer

Linda Woodcock — booth volunteer and booth supplies

Gordon Woodcock — booth volunteer and booth supplies

We salute you all for taking time out of your busy Saturday to spread the word about “Medicare for All”!

Thank you,

Linda

Here are photos from the festival.

Yahoo page

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NorthAlabamaHealthcareForAll/photos/album/2129857296/pic/list

Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/NorthAlabamaHealthcareForAll?v=photos&ref=mf#/album.php?aid=149607&id=159504394739

Great crowd tonight! We were happy to see almost 90 people come out for Dr. Pippa Abston’s talk on Universal Single Payer (Medicare for All) on the UAHuntsville campus.

She is a fantastic presenter and handled the questions with ease — even those from the 10 or so people in the audience who are against all reforms.  We were glad to have a very civil audience.

We had a good mix of people attending this event … including quite a few students! (Thanks to the efforts of Tommy Watts, president of the UAHuntsville College Democrats group which hosted the event.)

All four TV stations came out (19, 31, 48 and 54) plus the Huntsville Times. I’ll post their coverage when it’s available… unless someone beats me to it.  [The Huntsville Times article is below]

Here are links to event photos on our Yahoo page and our Facebook page.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NorthAlabamaHealthcareForAll/photos/album/412201952/pic/list

http://www.facebook.com/NorthAlabamaHealthcareForAll

We thank Dr. Abston for her continued commitment to spreading the word about Medicare for All and bringing affordable, quality healthcare to all Americans!

Linda

I posted photos on Yahoo here

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NorthAlabamaHealthcareForAll/photos/album/1958635078/pic/list

And, posted them on Facebook here

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=147383&id=159504394739&saved#/album.php?aid=147383&id=159504394739

The Huntsville Times and WLRH both sent reporters to cover us. Keep an eye/ear out for their reports.

We thank everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to join us this wet morning. That was dedication!

Linda

Below is media coverage on last night’s healthcare forum in Huntsville from Channel 48/WAFF and the Huntsville Times. Channel 19/WHNT hasn’t posted their video to the website … I’ll send that when available.

Special thanks go to Sherry Walker who brought the signs “Respect” and “Healthcare Reform: Discussion not Disruption.”  These signs were featured in both media pieces.

It was fun watching the 10 PM newscast segments on my television last night … I saw friends in those who I didn’t know came … I guess that will happen with almost 300 people in the room! 

I was also pleasantly surprised to see about 20 local doctors stand up when asked to by our accomplished moderator.

If you attended the event, please share your thoughts … what new information you learned, what stood out for you about what our distinguished panelists and/or moderator had to say, or other general comments about the event.

Thank you, everyone!

Linda

‘A ray of hope’ for reform amid the sound and fury

Different kind of healthcare forum held in Huntsville

Big thanks go to these folks from our HCEA e-mail list group for their part in the event:

+  Razi Hassan, PhD — for having his students help sponsor and volunteer at this event; making the room arrangements; and handling event publicity on campus.

+  Anis Salib, PhD — for giving a short talk on the healthcare reform scene in Washington, DC as it is today.

+  Pippa Abston, MD — for giving a short talk on the Alabama numbers … uninsured, underinsured and about the monopoly that Blue Cross/Blue Shield has in our state. (Many of us were surprised they have 83%!)

+  Jennifer Humiston — for helping with handouts, participant sign-ins, and posting flyers before the event.

Channel 48/WAAF -TV came out and taped a segment for their 5 PM news on Saturday. Maybe some of you caught that?

If not, here’s the link http://www.waff.com/global/story.asp?s=10607969

Linda