Tuesday, Sept. 9, and Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2008
PASADENA, Calif., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Access to quality health care is a goal for all Americans. Yet there are striking disparities in access and quality as medical systems are challenged by geographic and socio-economic conditions, as well as racial, ethnic and gender differences.
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FACS will present two tele-seminars addressing these issues and examining disparities within the health care system on Sept. 9 and Sept. 17. These seminars were inspired by "The Measure of America," a recently published -- and unprecedented -- compendium of data on how Americans live.
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This breakthrough study tackles the specifics of quality of life in every part of the United States -- and finds many places lacking in what it takes to flourish. For example, if the U.S. infant mortality rate were as low as Sweden's, 21,000 more American babies would survive their first year. "The Measure of America" tabulates a wealth of statistics on income, education, longevity and other factors, and breaks the data down by state and Congressional district as well as by race and gender.
These statistics throw new light, rather than mere heat, on a key political debate of the 21st century: what to do about the growing gap between well-off and poor people, and the possible emergence in the land of opportunity of a class of permanently poor Americans.
Now the authors and other experts will break the data down further in a series of six tele-seminars for journalists, presented by the Foundation for American Communications (FACS). The goal is to help journalists mine the data and nail the story as it applies to their region. This seminar series is funded by a grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
First up are the two tele-seminars focusing on health care access in the United States:
-- "In Sickness and In Health" (Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 2 p.m. Eastern/11 a.m. Pacific) focuses on health disparities in the United States. Sarah Burd-Sharps, co-author of "The Measure of America," and science and health-care journalist Madeline Drexler will address lifespan trends from the 1970s to the present, along with the top causes of death including chronic disease. Because some groups are falling dramatically behind, the session will look closely at ethnic and regional disparities in health issues.
-- "U.S. Health Care: How Big a Bang for Our Buck?" (Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 2 p.m. Eastern/11 a.m. Pacific) brings Burd-Sharps and Drexler back to discuss priorities and accountability in health-care spending. Public-health educational campaigns and prevention have caused the biggest increases in life spans; yet 95 percent of U.S. health-care spending goes toward medical research and treatment, not education. This session will include lessons for policymakers -- what works, what doesn't, and what's worth a shot.
These seminars are for journalists who cover health care, business, economic and consumer issues.
Participation is free for journalists, but advance registration is required. Your registration allows you to participate in both health-care tele-seminars.
For further details or to register, go to www.FACSnet.org. To register, click on the "registration" link on the home page or use the dropdown menu. Registrants will receive a confirmation e-mail with information on how to participate.
FACS is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational institution providing seminars for journalists on complex issues in the news. FACS is a programming partner of the Society of Professional Journalists.
SOURCE Foundation for American Communications (FACS)
