Feb. 26-27, 2010 — Oliver Fein, MD, speaking in Huntsville

 North Alabama Healthcare for All presents …  

Oliver Fein, MD

President, Physicians for a National Health Program

Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow

Past Vice President of the American Public Health Association    

All three events are FREE and open to the public

For more information, call (256) 489-3884, e-mail lahaynes@knology.net  or online www.NorthAlabamaHealthcareForAll.org      

1)  Friday, Feb. 26,  6:00 p.m.

“Healthcare Reform 2010: Where Do We Go From Here?” Physicians understand the urgent need for healthcare reform — for the good of patients, the profession and the U.S. economy. However, according to Dr. Fein, the present legislation in Congress is not going far enough AND is headed in the wrong direction. This talk, by a leading advocate of an expanded and improved Medicare for All (single payer) program, will describe what’s really happening with our healthcare system and where we need to go from here to reach universal, high quality coverage at an affordable cost for all. Audience Q&A will follow.   The presentation will include updates and responses to President Obama’s healthcare summit to be held in Washington, DC, on the day prior to this event.   

Speaker:   Oliver Fein, MD, president, Physicians for a National Health Program, www.pnhp.org  (New York, NY)

Location:  Shelby Center for Science and Technology, UA Huntsville Campus. Room 107 Auditorium. (near intersection of Sparkman Drive and Lakeside  http://www.uah.edu/map/color_map.pdf )

Co-sponsors:  UA Huntsville Political Science Department and Alabama A&M University Political Science Department  

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2)  Saturday, Feb. 27, 10 – 11:30 a.m.

“Healthcare Justice: The Moral Imperative for Universal Healthcare from a Christian Perspective”

This event offers an overview of problems with the healthcare system, the status of reform legislation, and an affordable solution aimed at just and equitable healthcare for all. We begin by laying out an ethical framework for the discussion. Speakers then address various aspects of healthcare justice and the moral imperative they see as central to the Christian perspective. Audience Q&A will follow.   

Location:  Faith Presbyterian Church, 5003 Whitesburg Drive, Huntsville. Fellowship Hall. (at intersection of Airport and Whitesburg)    

Speakers: 

+  Oliver Fein, MD, president, Physicians for a National Health Program (New York, NY)

+  Arthur Sutherland, MD, board member, Tennessee Health Care Campaign, and national board member of PNHP (Memphis, TN)

+  Abi Carlisle-Wilke, M.Div., Senior Associate Pastor, Trinity United Methodist Church (Huntsville, AL).  

Moderator:  Rev. Frank Broyles, Interfaith Mission Service  

Supported by:  Interfaith Mission Service;  Indian Creek Primitive Baptist Association;  Greater Huntsville Interdenominational Ministerial Fellowship.   Coffee, fruit and pastries will be available.  

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3)  Saturday, Feb. 27, 1 – 3 p.m.

“Point / Counterpoint: Fixing the American Health System” Physicians from opposite ends of the policy spectrum will present their solutions to our health care crisis. Dr. Oliver Fein, president of PNHP, will present the case for expanding and improving Medicare to all. Dr. Allan Goldstein, Alabama delegate to the American Medical Association, will focus on quality of healthcare as a way to reduce costs, and the reforms necessary to reach that goal. Audience Q&A will follow.     

Location: Crestwood Medical Center, One Hospital Drive, Huntsville. First floor auditorium.  (near intersection of Airport and Whitesburg)   

Speakers: 

+  Oliver Fein, MD, president, Physicians for a National Health Program  (New York, NY)

+  Allan Goldstein, MD, past president, Medical Society of the State of Alabama; current delegate to the American Medical Association representing Alabama. (Birmingham, AL)    

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Speaker Biographies:  

Oliver T. Fein, MD  (New York, NY) Dr. Fein is president of Physician for a National Health Program, a nonprofit organization of over 17,000 physicians who support single-payer national health insurance. He is a general internist who is active in clinical practice, he is also professor of clinical medicine and clinical public health at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, where he serves as associate dean responsible for the Office of Affiliations and the Office of Global Health Education. Dr. Fein has advocated for an expanded role for primary care, for academic health centers in urban health care delivery systems, and for national health system reform. He was Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow during 1993-1994, when he worked in the office of Senate Democratic Majority Leader George Mitchell. He spent 17 years at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center developing community-based ambulatory care practices and the Division of General Medicine. He is chair of the New York State Chapter of PNHP and immediate past vice president of the American Public Health Association. Dr. Fein received the Elnora M. Rhodes Service award from the Society of General Internal Medicine in 1999; the Haven Emerson Award from the Public Health Association of New York City in 2001; and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowships Program in 2008.    

Allan R. Goldstein, MD  (Birmingham, AL) Dr. Goldstein is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and a graduate of “The” Ohio State University School of Medicine. He has been in practice since 1972 and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Diseases. He continues to have an active practice and serves as both a Primary Care Physician and a Consultant. He has been involved in organized medicine for over 30 years. He has served on the Board of the Jefferson County Medical Society and has been its President. He has served on the Board of Censors of The Medical Association of the State of Alabama, been a member of both the Board of Medical Examiners and the State Committee of Public Health and has been the President of The Medical Association of the State of Alabama. Presently, he is a Delegate to the AMA , representing Alabama. He is a patient advocate and supports quality and efficient care initiatives that will lead to reduced cost by decreasing the need for unscheduled visits, Emergency Department visits and hospitalization. He is a strong advocate for the patient-doctor relationship and for patient focused care.    

Arthur J. Sutherland III, MD, FACC  (Memphis, TN) Dr. Sutherland is a retired physician and founder of the Sutherland Cardiology Clinic. He currently works with The Healthy Memphis Common Table which is addressing the obesity and diabetes epidemics in Memphis and the Mid-South. Improving health literacy and elimination of social and health related disparities are high priority agenda issues. Dr. Sutherland is also a member of the Memphis School of Servant Leadership and works with the Memphis Theological Seminary in its urban ministry program. He is currently serving as chairman of the Tennessee chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program and is on the national PNHP Board of Directors. In addition, he is on the state Board of Directors for the Tennessee Health Care Campaign. Both PNHP and THCC have been working for health care justice for over 20 years.      

Abi Carlisle-Wilke, M.Div.  (Huntsville, AL) Abi Carlisle-Wilke is the Senior Associate Pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church in Huntsville, AL. She earned her Master of Divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1978. Her studies also include training in Clinical Pastoral Education beginning with The University of Louisville Health Sciences System, Louisville, KY and then at Carraway Methodist Medical Center in Birmingham, AL.  She has served as Chaplain/Pastoral Counselor for Brookwood Medical Center, South Highland Hospital, and Carraway Methodist Medical Center in Birmingham, AL; and then for the Pastoral Institute/Bradley Center in Columbus, GA.    

Frank Broyles, M.Div   (Huntsville, AL) Reverand Frank Broyles currently serves as Minister of Church and Community with the Faith Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama. He also serves as Executive Minister of the Huntsville Association for Pastoral Care (HAPC); Program Director of the Area Chapter of the National Conference For Community and Justice; and Senior Program Specialist for the Interfaith Mission Service. He served as the first Administrative Director of Hospice of Huntsville; for fifteen years as Director of the Campus Ministry Association at UAH; and for twelve years as Adjunct Instructor at the School of Theology at the University of the South. He earned his B.A. from Rhodes College (Southwestern at Memphis) and his Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt Divinity School. He carried out post-graduate non-degree studies at Sewanee’s School of Theology. Rev. Broyles’ commitment to ecumenical and interfaith understanding has been significant and lasting. He has received close to 30 awards and recognitions for community service in inter-agency, ecumenical, and interfaith work.     

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