Bastyr presents: Politics of Health in America: The State of Health Care Reform

Bastyr University Campus, Rm 146
14500 Juanita Dr NE
Kenmore, WA 98028-4966
Tuesday, November 17, 2009, 5:45 – 8pm

Bastyr University is pleased to present a continuation of “Politics of Health in America,” a series of panel discussions that examine a broad spectrum of issues related to the state of our health care system. Launched in October 2008, the series continues November 17 with three regional health care experts discussing "The State of Health Care Reform." Bastyr faculty member Ryan Bradley, ND, MPH, will moderate. An audience Q&A session will follow the panel discussion. For more information, contact George Cody at (425) 602-3103 or gcody@bastyr.edu.

Featured panelists are:
Cindy Watts, PhD: Dr. Watts is a professor of health economics and health policy in the UW Department of Health Services and she serves as the Director of the Extended Masters of Public Health program. She holds adjunct appointments in the Department of Economics and the Evans School of Public Affairs. With a PhD in economics from the Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Watts teaches various graduate courses in health economics and health policy development. Her research is broad-based, and includes work on access to health insurance, reimbursement, and health care market structure. She has served on a variety of Washington State legislative and executive branch commissions and task forces on health policy issues, and serves as Director of the Resource Center for Health Policy at the University of Washington.

Hugh W.L. Ewart, MSc: As director of state and federal government affairs at Seattle Children's Hospital, Hugh Ewart is intimately familiar with the political challenges of reforming the American health care system. In his position, Ewart interacts frequently with state and federal government officials and has become a strong advocate for the implementation of health care reform across the political spectrum, from the White House to the Washington State Legislature. His particular focus is on increasing access to quality health care for children. A veteran of the U.S. House of Representative as a legislative correspondent for Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) and former Rep. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ewart has developed a deep understanding of the "politics of health" in his positions as a policy analyst for the Community Health Network/Plan of Washington, a legislative assistant to Seattle City Councilman Jim Compton and a research associate for a consulting firm providing U.S. government program evaluation services. He is also a frequent author of reports and position papers related to the U.S. health care system. Ewart earned his MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Molly Firth, MPH: Firth is a Senior Government Affairs Analyst at the Community Health Network of Washington, a network of community-based health clinics across the state. She has advocated for Washington State's community health centers for nearly four years and remains committed to improving the vitality of communities through access to health care for uninsured and underserved individuals and families. Her efforts focus on strategic public policy development, policy research and analysis and coalition building. Firth received her Master of Public Health degree from Tufts University School of Medicine, and a BA in Biology from the University of San Diego.

Neighborhoods: Citywide, East of Seattle, North of Seattle, West of Seattle
Event Types: Community, Education, Public Forum
Audience: Adults
Sponsoring Organization: Bastyr University
Contact: George Cody
Contact Phone: 425.602.3103
Contact Email: gcody@bastyr.edu
Pre-Register: No
Cost: FREE and open to the public
More info: www.bastyr.edu