Health care is focus of PBS event

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RIT hosts PBS health care event on October 20th.

Health-care access, affordability and quality will be debated among more than 100 Rochester-area residents at a forum hosted by RIT Oct. 20.

The event is part of a national conversation by PBS titled “Dialogues in Democracy 2007: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” The project, titled “By the People,” is an initiative of PBS’ MacNeil/Lehrer Productions. Rochester-area residents, who are part of a randomly selected sample, will participate in a discussion and then respond to a national survey. Rochester is among a dozen cities across the nation participating in the event.

It is the fifth consecutive year RIT has hosted the PBS event, which promotes civic dialogue. The event will be held 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in the B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences. A panel session with health experts begins at 1 p.m. in the Golisano College auditorium.

Albert Simone, RIT president emeritus, will moderate the panel. Panelists include: Tim McCormick, president and CEO of Unity Health Systems David Klein, president and CEO, Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield Nancy Bennett, director of University of Rochester Medical CenterCenter for Community Health Fran Weisberg, director of Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency Lisa Harris, M.D., physician Joseph Morelle, State assemblyman and chair of the Assembly Insurance Committee Tim Engström, RIT philosophy professor and co-editor of Health Care Reform: Ethics and Politics Sandy Parker, president and CEO, Rochester Business Alliance The dialogue and survey results will be the subject of a national broadcast later this fall and a local broadcast on WXXI-TV (Channel 21) at 9 p.m. Oct. 26. The event is sponsored by RIT, WXXI-TV (Channel 21) and radio, the Democrat and Chronicle, WHAM-TV (Channel 13) and WDKX-FM (103.9).