ATSU luncheon and panel discussion to highlight national healthcare policy reform
Posted: April 3, 2009
MESA, Ariz. (Mar. 31, 2009) – Healthcare reform continues to sit at the top of our national agenda, and understanding its implications is crucial to the livelihood of all Americans. Men and women in the Mesa community will have a unique opportunity to make sense of current healthcare policies and how they will affect families and businesses by attending A.T. Still University’s (ATSU) community luncheon and panel discussion entitled “Will Care Be There?” on Tuesday, April 14 at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Nationally-renowned healthcare policy expert Barbara Ross-Lee, D.O., FACOFP, will keynote this timely luncheon and panel discussion, which is sponsored by ATSU’s Women’s Wellness program. Dr. Ross-Lee, a former medical school dean, is currently director of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Health Policy Fellowship Program and vice president for health sciences and medical affairs at New York Institute of Technology.
“Every American needs to be informed and, if able, be part of our nation’s healthcare discussions,” said ATSU Provost Craig M. Phelps, D.O., FAOASM. “ATSU hopes this program will engage community members and stimulate a ‘call to action’ for those wishing to voice their views and ideas on a topic affecting each and every one of us. Dr. Ross-Lee and panel members will discuss how attendees can help shape healthcare policy and highlight recent trends and challenges facing families and businesses.”
Women’s Wellness executive advisory board member Amanda Weaver, M.B.A., executive director of the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association (AOMA), agrees, stating that attendees will walk away with information that they can use. “Dr. Ross-Lee founded the AOA Health Policy Fellowship Program, which has trained osteopathic physicians and members of the osteopathic family in the high ground and comprehensive approach to cost, quality, and access to care issues, and [in addressing] frustrations that people experience every day,” she said. “The objective is to improve healthcare for patients.”
Other panel members will include Erick Novack, M.D., a board certified orthopaedic surgeon and advocate for protection of patient rights; Jill Rissi, Ph.D., associate director for research and policy at St. Luke’s Health Initiatives, whose research focuses on Arizona health policy; and Jan Zieren, D.O., FACOFP, a board certified family practice physician and president of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians.
The cost to attend ATSU’s community luncheon and panel discussion is $75 per person. Sponsorship and premium ticket opportunities are available. Contact the ATSU advancement office for more information at drohrich@atsu.edu or 480.219.6115, or visit www.atsuwomenswellness.org.