HDSC Weekly Digest 3/24/08

[HDSC Group Manager]

Thank you for joining the Health Disparities Student Collaborative
Weekly Listserv! Please feel free to post your own relevant
announcements in the "discussion" section of our site (http://
groups.google.com/group/HDSC), or by emailing them to
healthdispari...@gmail.com. The listserv moderators will
include these announcements in the next weekly digest sent to the full
HDSC listserv.

This week's topics:

1. Help the Disparities Action Network educate policymakers about
health disparities
2. Lecture by Harvard Professor David Cutler on his book "Your Money
Or Your Life: Strong Medicine for America's Health Care System" THIS
TUESDAY!
3. Unnatural Causes -- Boston premiere at JFK Library THIS THURSDAY!
4. HCFA's 2008 Policy and Organizing Conference, "Building Momentum,
Moving Forward" THIS FRIDAY!
5. Immigrants and Health Reform: What Do We Know So Far?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Help the Disparities Action Network educate policymakers about
health disparities

The Disparities Action Network (DAN) in Boston is looking for a
students to contribute a few hours to meeting with legislators in the
House and Senate to help educate them on disparities and DAN's budget
initiative to create an Office of Health Equity at the Executive
Office of Health & Human Services that will greatly enhance the
coordination of state agencies for health disparities elimination.
Interested? Contact Camille Watson (cwa...@hcfama.org)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Lecture by Harvard Professor David Cutler on his book "Your Money
Or Your Life: Strong Medicine for America's Health Care System" (March
25)

*Good health comes at a price, but how do we put a price on health?*

Who gets left out from accessing this basic human right?

On March 25 at 8pm in Cabot Auditorium at Tufts University , come hear
Professor David Cutler from Harvard University discuss his book "Your
Money Or Your Life: Strong Medicine for America's Health Care
System." Cutler raises important and relevant issues to the state of
American health care and adds a valuable perspective to a broader
discussion of economic justice in society. For anyone interested in
these issues and who someday will need to purchase health care, this
is a talk not to miss. This event is sponsored by the
Moral Voices Initiative at Tufts Hillel.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Unnatural Causes -- Boston premiere (March 27)

UNNATURAL CAUSES ... is inequality making us sick? Please join Mayor
Thomas M. Menino, the filmmaker, local officials and community leaders
for the Boston premiere of the film and a panel discussion about
creating a unified health equity agenda and how we can all take
action!

Date: Thursday, March 27, 2008
Time: 5:30 - 6:15 pm, Reception
6:30 PM: Program and screening
Place: The John F. Kennedy Library, Columbia Point, Boston, MA

RSVP: Seating is limited. Register on-line at: www.unnaturalcausesbostonpremiere.eventbrite.com
or call 617-534-2622

Panelists include: Dr. Barbara Ferrer (Executive Director, Boston
Public Health Commission), John Auerbach, DPH (Commissioner,
Massachusetts Department of Public Health), Llew Smith (California
Newsreel film producer), Dr. Nancy Norman (Medical Director, Boston
Public Health Commission), Dr. Joseph Betancourt (Director, MGH
Disparities Solution Center) and Dr. Nancy Krieger (Harvard School of
Public Health).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. HCFA's 2008 Policy and Organizing Conference, "Building Momentum,
Moving Forward" (March 28)

Health Care For All's annual Policy and Organizing Conference will be
held this year on Friday, March 28th at the Holiday Inn Boxborough,
242 Adams Place, Boxborough MA. This year's theme will be "Building
Momentum, Moving Forward." This conference is a great chance to meet
and hear from the lawmakers, community leaders, business leaders, and
organizers who are working to make affordable, quality health care for
all a reality in Massachusetts!

This year's conference will feature:
** Addresses from Executive Office of Administration and Finance
Secretary Leslie Kirwan, Connector Authority Member Nancy Turnbull,
and HCFA Executive Director John McDonough.
** Workshops covering the latest healthcare access and affordability
topics
** Display tables from key healthcare providers, advocates, and
community organizations
** Networking Opportunities

To register for the conference, or to reserve a display table, please
visit http://www.hcfama.org/conf08

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. Immigrants and Health Reform: What Do We Know So Far? (April 8)

A forum sponsored by the Massachusetts Public Health Association's
Health Disparities Section, Tuesday, April 8, 2008, 6:30 - 8:30 pm

ABCD Boston 178 Tremont Street, 3rd Floor, Cass Room (click here for
map)

Come learn about how health insurance reform affects immigrant
communities and find out how you can get involved!

Featured speakers:
Linda Gabruk, Brockton Neighborhood Health Center
Lori Abrams Berry, Lynn Community Health Center
A third speaker will discuss the implementation of health reform.

Moderator: Jacob Smith Yang, Massachusetts Asians & Pacific Islanders
for Health (MAP for Health)

Co-sponsored by: ABCD, MIRA Coalition, Health Care for All, and the
Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers

For more information, please contact Sonia Alam at 617-524-6696 x103;
alam....@gmail.com.