From the inbox:
Healthcare-NOW! National Single Payer Strategy Conference in Houston
WHAT: Over 120 Representatives from 25 states and 52 organizations meet in Houston to plan strategies to advance a single payer national health insurance plan in the USA. The best health care system plan for accessible, cost-effective, equitable and high quality health care is expanded and improved “Medicare for All”. Workshops and topics include:
*economic impact of the PPACA legislation, funding and affordability, the individual mandate, challenging electoral candidates to press forward for single payer during the election year
* defending attacks on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security
* health care inequities; exposing pharmaceutical and insurance industry corruption of government
* state plans for universal health care coverage
* building coalitions with faith-communities,
professionals, peace, justice, consumer rights and labor groups * shareholder “divestment” campaign from profit-making insurance companies
* connecting to the OccupyWallStreet movement and occupying the health care debate
* lessons from the southern states and the civil rights movement to achieve health care as a civil right
WHEN: Saturday, January 28, 2012 2pm-9pm and Sunday, January 29, 9:00am-5:00pm
WHERE: Hilton Hobby Hotel, 8181 Airport Blvd, Houston
Conference info: http://www.healthcare-now.org/
campaigns/strat-conf/ Co-sponsor host: Health Care for All Texas www.healthcareforalltexas.orgWHO: Senior leaders from national and regional coalitions, academic, medical care, health policy analysts, movie producers, videographers, writers and activists. Speakers AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW include:
_ Dr. Claudia Fegan, Chief Medical Officer, Ambulatory & Community Health Network, Cook County
_ Dr. Walter Tsou, past president American Public Health Association; Physicians for a National Health Program
_ Michael Lighty, Director of Public Policy, National Nurses United
_ Mark Dudzic, Labor Campaign for Single Payer Health
_ Dr. Margaret Flowers, Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care
_ Dr. Jerry Frankel, Physicians for a National Health Program (Texas) www.pnhp.org
_ Donna Smith, (Sicko movie) American Patients United; California Nurses Association
_ Tim Carpenter, Nat’l Director, Progressive Democrats of America
_ Catherine Tactaquin, Executive Director, Nat’l Network for Immigrant & Refugee Rights
_ Dr. Margaret Nosek, Executive Director, Center for Research on Women with Disabilities
_ John Lozier, Nat’l Health Care for the Homeless Council
_ Katie Robbins, Healthcare for the 99% -OccupyWallStreet-NY
_ Laurie Simons & Terry Sterrenberg, producers, The Healthcare Moviehttp://healthcaremovie.net/
Contact: Colleen O’brien, Media Representative, Health Care for All TX -Houston, www.hcfat.org
281-660-9765, cobrien1ster@yahoo.com, or Cathy Courtney, HealthcareNOW Conference Planning Committee -Houston 832-677-6766, houstonc3courtney@gmail.com
I am unable to attend but I wanted to pass this along in case anyone reading is interested and able to be there.