Springfield Health Summit Targets Rural, Underserved Needs

"Charting A Health Care Agenda: Strategies for Rural and Underserved Illinois" is the title of a health care summit to be held Sunday and Monday, November 2-3, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Springfield. The summit is sponsored by Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and the SIU Public Policy Institute.

The purpose of the summit is to allow a thoughtful discussion of health care issues, including access, quality and cost concerns, in rural and underserved communities in Illinois. The goal is to develop recommendations for health policy in the state.

The summit begins Sunday at 3 p.m. with two panel discussions. Chuck Fluharty, director of the Rural Policy Research Institute, University of Missouri, will make remarks on "Today's Rural Realities," followed by a panel discussion. Dr. Eric Whitaker, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, will open a discussion on "The Disappearing Health Care Workforce," again followed by a panel. Sunday's schedule concludes with a dinner and evening program, hosted by Paul Simon, director of the Public Policy Institute.

On Monday at 8:30 a.m., the third panel, "Charting a Health Care Agenda," will feature discussion by four leaders of the Illinois General Assembly - James Clayborne, Jr., chair of the Senate environment and energy committee; Dale Righter, minority spokesperson and member of the Senate health and human services committee; Patricia Bellock, minority spokesperson and member of the House human services committee, and Willie Delgado, chair of the House human services committee.

A keynote address, "Rural Health: The Federal Agenda," will be given at 10 a.m. Monday by Marcia Brand, Ph.D., executive director of the Office of Rural Health Policy of Health and Human Services.

Registration fee for the conference is $25 and is due Friday, October 24. For more information, contact the School of Medicine's Continuing Medical Education office, 217-545-7711 or www.siumed.edu/cme.

- 30 -