The Statewide Health Care Reform Forum
Health Care Reform, Rural Communities, and You
This statewide forum was held on December 14, 2010 to help rural communities and businesses
understand what the
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (i.e., Federal Health Care Reform)
means to rural areas. Most presentations originated out College Park and were webcast
to forum locations in four rural regions. Forum Locations were: Chesapeake College at Wye Mills;
Wor-Wic Community College in Salisbury; College of Southern Maryland in Prince Frederick;
Garrett County Health Department in Oakland; and the Maryland 4-H Center in College Park.
The webcast of this forum is available in sections below. You will need a
high-speed broadband connection to view these presentations.
- Forum Welcome (15 minutes) from Robert S. Gold, Dean, University of Maryland College
Park School of Public Health.
Watch Dr. Gold's Welcome.
- Health Care Reform: How We Got To Where We Are (45 minutes), presented
by Jack A. Meyer, Professor of the Practice, Health Services Administration Department,
University of Maryland College Park School of Public Health. He has a joint
appointment as Professor of the Practice in the School of Public Health and the School
of Public Policy. He is also a principal with Health Management Associates in Washington, D.C.
where he is conducting health care research, policy analysis, and strategic planning
for grant making foundations, health industry leaders, and state and federal agencies.
Dr. Meyers examined the past, present, and future of health reform in the United States.
He reviewed challenges that led to the current reform and those to be addressed in
the execution of reform. He provided real life examples of the current state of
the uninsured in the U.S. and likely differences after reform is implemented.
Dr. Meyers referred to future challenges in work force as well as financial implications.
He also answered questions from participants. Due to technical difficulties
only an audio recording is available.
Listen to Dr. Meyer's presentation.
- Health Care Reform: Implications for Rural Maryland (45 minutes), presented
by Keith Mueller, The University of Iowa College of Public Health, Department of
Health Management and Policy, RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis.
Read "The 2010 Affordable Care Act: Highlights of Provisions Affecting Rural America" here.
Dr. Mueller serves as Gerhard Hartman Professor and Head in the Department of Health Management and Policy,
College of Public Health, University of Iowa. He is also the Director of the Rural
Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis.
Dr Mueller focused on implications of the current law for rural areas. He described
changes in cost, access, etc. He also described possible changes in the law by
the next Congress. He urged participants to give up current notions regarding
health insurance and think about how changes could be of benefit. He especially
urged participants to find eligible people and encourage them to become insured
for the benefits to be reaped by them, their families and society. He also
emphasized the role of community and local partnerships in making the implementation successful.
Watch Dr. Mueller's presentation.
- Health Care Reform: Marylanders Responding Knowledgeably (45 minutes), a panel
discussion. To set the stage for the panel, Dr. Bonnie Braun, Director of the Horowitz Center
for Health Literacy and Extension Family Policy Specialist, made opening remarks.
She briefly described the
16 recommendations of Maryland's Health Care Reform
Coordinating Council. In response, Delegate Addie Eckardt, who represents the midshore
region of the Eastern Shore, spoke about the challenges of health care reform and issues for Maryland's General
Assembly and local communities. From Western Maryland, Garrett County Health Officer
Rodney B. Glotfelty, R.S., MPH, spoke about implications for local communities
and health departments. Dr. Elaine Anderson, Professor and Chair of the Department
of Family Science and Co-director of the Maryland Family Impact Seminar, addressed
impacts of health care reform on families. She shared the
"2010 Affordable Care Act: A Guide for Families" created by graduate students
in her health policy class.
View this panel's video.
- Health Care Reform: Supporting Local Families and Communities (15 minutes).
Nick Place, Associate Dean and Director, University of Maryland Extension, College
of Agriculture and Natural Resources, closed the forum. Dr. Place spoke about the
role of outreach and Extension. He explained the mission of Extension and acknowledged
the leadership of the Health Smart Impact Team in securing funding and planning
this forum. He also acknowledged other Extension personnel who assisted by
serving as site observers or facilitators or in technical aspects of producing
the webinar. Dr. Place reiterated the commitment of Extension to improving lives
people and communities across the state in partnership with local groups.
View the video
Inquiries about the forum should be emailed to Bonnie Braun at bbraun@umd.edu
Note: A separate webinar was held in June, 2010 by the eXtension Financial
Security for All Community of Practice to help educational professionals respond
knowledgeably to the Affordable Care Act. Dr. Bonnie Braun led the webinar
entitled, "Health Reform: Provisions for Family and Community Decisions." The
webinar complements the one reported here.
View the webinar
Download the Flyer used to promote the forum.
Rural Maryland Council :: 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway :: Annapolis, MD 21401 :: 410-841-5772
