Overview of the 11th Annual UCLA Health Care Symposium (HCS)

On January 20, 2007, the students of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA will host the 11th annual Health Care Symposium (HCS).  The symposium is a community-orientated event that is designed to create an awareness of controversial issues that will be faced by future health care professionals.  HCS is a high-profile conference that draws the attendance of over 350 pre-medical and medical students; faculty from the medical, public health, and business schools; and professional leaders in the community.

Topic:

The 11th annual symposium will center on the political factors which influence health policy formation and affect the healthcare in the United States. In each local, state, and national election, the question of healthcare access and allocation becomes a forefront issue of debate. The questions are: How do elected officials make decisions regarding measures and policies that affect healthcare access, delivery, and allocation? How strong is the influence of lobbying groups and the media? Who sets the healthcare priorities for the nation at the local, state, and national levels? In light of the healthcare challenges currently facing the nation, is this process – by which elected officials, and not physicians, make decisions that affect our healthcare – even rational to begin with?  The upcoming Healthcare Symposium conference, “Whose Voice Matters: The Politics of Health Policy”, will address these questions and more.

Keynote Speaker:
David Satcher, MD. 16th Surgeon General of the United States (1998-2002)

Speakers:
            Mr. Zev Yaroslavsky   Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, District 3
            Ms. Sheila Kuehl         California State Senator, District 23
            Robert Ross, MD         President and CEO, The California Endowment

Panel discussion:

The keynote address will be followed by a presentation by each our speakers. After the presentations have finished, a panel session led by a moderator (Dr. Richard Brown, Director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research) will follow.  Panelists will address such questions/topics as:

• What political influences affect voting behavior regarding healthcare issues?
• What is the role of the media, the public, and lobbying groups in this process?
• How do political figures and lobbying groups alike prioritize health-related advocacy?

And ultimately, whose voice matters in the formation of healthcare legislation, and is this process truly serving the best interest of public health?

The Directors of the 11th Annual UCLA Health Care Symposium:

• Erik Anderson • Christine Chen • Monica El Masry • Barkha Gurbani • Ali Khan • Benjamin Kianmahd