Community Voices and the National Center for Primary Care at Morehouse School of Medicine are bringing together some of the nation's thought and policy leaders for a meeting aimed at structuring a new paradigm for multicultural health care in the United States.
(PRWEB) August 6, 2004 -- The "Healthcare in a Multicultural Society" meeting, sponsored by the National Center for Primary Care at Morehouse School of Medicine, will be held at The Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia August 18-20, 2004. Speakers include, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Senior Medical Correspondent, John Quinones, ABC News and 20/20 Correspondent, Thomas W. Dortch, Jr., National Chairman of 100 Black Men of America and Dr. David Satcher, Director of the National Center for Primary Care at Morehouse School of Medicine and former U.S. Surgeon General. The keynote speaker is noted physician and medical anthropologist, Dr. Paul Farmer. He will address the issue of "Global Health Equity and the Future of Public Health."
Dr. Farmer is known internationally for his work providing medical services to some of the poorest regions in the world, particularly in Haiti. He has focused much of his career on raising the standard of health care in underdeveloped nations. In the process he and his colleagues have challenged policy-makers and naysayers who have maintained that it is impossible to provide adequate health care where there are inadequate resources. Dr. Farmer is a co-founder of Partners in Health, a global charity organization that provides direct health services and conducts research and advocacy work for the sick and impoverished. He is an attending physician in infectious diseases and the Chief of the Division of Social Medicine and Health Inequities at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. He also serves as the medical director at Clinique Bon Sauveur, a small hospital in rural Haiti. Pulitzer Prize winning author Tracy Kidder has written a book that chronicles Dr. Farmer's work called Mountains Beyond Mountains (Random House, 2003).
Farmer's background makes him an ideal candidate to open the discussions, which will focus on determining how health care and human services can do a better job at responding to the needs of multicultural populations, particularly those that are minority and marginalized. Following his speech, Dr. Farmer will be interview by Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Other topics on the agenda will address issues such as: Setting the Context in the U.S. - Factors that Contribute to Disparities, Addressing the Needs of America's Under-served Youth and Leading to Change: What a Presidential Candidate Needs to Know. The meeting will conclude with the development of recommendations aimed at improving care and promoting health for multiple ethnic, religious and cultural populations.
"Healthcare in a Multicultural Society" is by invitation only, though the media is invited to attend. It is a preview for the mid-September Salzburg Seminar in Austria. That session also will focus on Multicultural Healthcare. Community Voices Director, Dr. Henrie Treadwell, will travel to Austria to participate in the seminar.
The Salzburg Seminar has a rich history dating back to 1947, when the first meeting was held in an attempt to bolster new dialogue in post World War II Europe. It a leading forum for promoting global dialogue on issues of pressing concern, such as multicultural healthcare. The program is dedicated to promoting the free exchange of ideas and understanding in a neutral, cross cultural environment.
Contact Information:
Sharon North
404-752-1977
snorth@msm.edu
NATL. CTR. FOR PRIMARY CARE/MOREHOUSE SCHOOL MED.
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