SCC eBulletin - "Win, Place, Show: Wagering on Health Care Reform

February 24, 2014, Volume 46, Issue 13

Win, Place, Show:

Wagering

on

Health Care Reform

This program is the final session
of the 5-part series,
Health Care for Oregonians:
Health Care Reform in the Salem Community
Friday, March 7, 2014 @ noon,
Willamette Heritage Center

Sponsored by:

Health care reform has become, if anything, more controversial since Dr. Bruce Goldberg kicked off Salem City Club’s health care series in September 2013. The 24-hour news cycle has spun to a whine faulting glitch-prone online registries, surprise insurance premium rises, cancelled insurance plans, and the fact that not everyone can keep their doctor.

And yet, there is evidence that hospitals and medical professionals are changing their business models and practices to facilitate reform, and public health authorities are seeking economies and efficiencies through emphasis on preventative and coordinated care. Amid frustration, new legions of first time insured are growing, and some of the most vexing problems of the Oregon and US health care administration are being tackled head-on.

In brief, the track record of health reform is one of mixed success, and this raises questions about its adequacy and soundness. As the series on health care ends, City Club members will have the opportunity to “place their bets” on Oregon’s health care reforms.

This final series session features three experts who will assess the reform record to date and speculate on the future success and problems of healthcare reform in Oregon. Each brings a different perspective to the program.

Presenters:

Stephanie Bernell, Ph.D.,
is an Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Health Management and Policy programs at Oregon State University. She has a Ph.D. in Health Economics from the Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Bernell teaches courses on the health system, health policy and health economics in the Bachelor, Master and Doctoral programs in the School of Social and Behavioral Health Sciences. The focus of her research is the unintended health-related consequences of policy change. Bernell is currently finishing a health economics textbook to be released by Health Administration Press.

Michael C. Huntington, M.D., is a retired oncologist and

former Medical Director of the Radiation Oncology Department at Good Samaritan Hospital and, then, the Samaritan Regional Cancer Center in Corvallis (1984 to 2006). A graduate of Oregon State University and the University of Oregon Medical School, Huntington interned at Madigan Army Hospital in 1968 and was an Army flight surgeon in Vietnam in 1969. Since his retirement, he has joined with physicians and other activists in Corvallis to engage colleagues and the public in discussions about the urgent need for health care reform. In 2009, Huntington helped form the Mad As Hell Doctors, a group that toured Oregon and beyond. He was President of Health Care for All Oregon and the Health Care for All Oregon Education Fund in 2012.

Eric Fruits, Ph.D.,is President and Chief Economist at Economics International Corp., an Oregon-based consulting firm specializing in economics, finance, and statistics. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Portland State University, where he teaches in the
Economics Department. Dr. Fruits has been engaged by private and public sector clients, including state and local governments, to examine the economic impacts of government policies. He has written on the economics of the Oregon Health Plan and the financial stability of Medicare.

Please join us Friday, March 7, 2014, as we present the fifth program in our series Health Care for Oregonians: Health Care Reform in the Salem Community, at the Willamette Heritage Center at the Mill. This program is generously sponsored by Salem Health. Register at www.salemcityclub.com before noon Wednesday, March 5, 2014. Parking is free. Doors open at 11:30 AM. For more information on this program please go to www.salemcityclub.com

Mark Your Calendar,

Save the Dates

March 21: The 2014 Legislative Session: A Summary and Assessment.