Health Disparities Working Group Forum
Health Care Reform and Health Equity
This event was held on April 17, 2009.
Video
Objectives and Introduction
Health care reform is a major component of current national efforts to improve the economic crisis in our nation. National debates regarding health care reform have focused on increasing access and quality of care to Americans and reducing health care costs. The current national debate regarding health care reform has direct implications for reducing health disparities in Minnesota and elsewhere.
The objectives of the Health Disparities Forum are to:
- Examine innovative strategies and models for reforming our health care system
- Discuss the implications of health care reform for reducing health disparities
- Stimulate dialogue regarding the effects of health care reform for achieving health equity in Minnesota and elsewhere
For the purposes of this forum, we define health disparities broadly to include health disparities related to socioeconomic position, race/ethnicity, age, sex, and geography.
Keynote Speakers
Michael H. Trujillo, MD, MS, MPH is presently the Health Research Director for the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc (ITCA) in Phoenix, AZ. There, he assists the Executive Office of the Council in managing, coordinating the various health care initiatives, projects and grants, and extends collaboration of the ITCA with Federal, non-Federal, state, community and American Indian tribal organizations and programs.
Amy Klobuchar is a senator from Minnesota. Senator Klobuchar recently convened a national summit on health care reform where she highlighted the importance of reining in costs to improve quality and affordability in America's health care system. Klobuchar's interest in health care reform stems from her role on the Joint Economic Committee, which is responsible for reporting on current economic conditions and proposing policies that will strengthen the American economy.
Jeffrey O. Korsmo is executive director of Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center. He is active in health care finance and other policy issues for Mayo and its patients on a national level. Through the Health Policy Center, Mr. Korsmo leads Mayo Clinic in its convening role, seeking consensus to achieve crucial reforms in the American health care system.
Speakers
John R. Finnegan, Jr., Dean, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota.
Kola Okuyemi, MD, MPH, Director, Program in Health Disparities Research, Center for Clinical Research, Medical School; Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota.
Debra Olson, Associate Dean, Public Health Practice Education, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota.
Kathleen Thiede Call, PhD, Associate Professor and DGS, Co-Director, Health Disparities Work Group, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota.
Last modified on Wednesday Oct 19, 2005