Idaho Conference on Health Care to run Oct. 24-26

The newly created Governor’s Select Committee on Health Care will hold the first of several regional meetings at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 24, in the Idaho State University Pond Student Union Building in conjunction with the ISU Kasiska College of Health Professions 20th annual Idaho Conference on Health Care running Oct. 24-26.

The Committee is taking public comments on the findings and recommendations of the Governor’s Health Care Summit, which was conducted in August.  All the Health Care Summit’s recommendations, as well as identified challenges and potential solutions, can be found on the governor’s Web site at: http://gov.idaho.gov/healthcarerecommendations.pdf. The meeting will be held in the PSUB Salmon River Suite.

With the theme “The Changing Face of Health Care,” this year’s health conference will delve into a variety of topics presented by nationally recognized health care authorities.

“Global Warming and Health” is the topic of a keynote presentation at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, in the PSUB Salmon River Suite. Paul Epstein, M.D., M.P.H., associate director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, will deliver the keynote. Epstein has researched and written extensively on global warming and related health issues. He is currently engaged in research on health concerns related to global warming such as the West Nile virus, asthma and the rise of infectious disease. Epstein has worked in medical, research and teaching capacities around the world including locations in Africa, Asia and Latin America. His writings have appeared in a wide variety of publications, including “Scientific American” and “The New England Journal of Medicine.”

 Besides the two events listed above, the conference will feature speakers on everything from “Eating Competence: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” to “The Untold Story of Medical Mistakes.”

 For a complete list of conference events and in-depth information on speakers and presentations, visit the Web site www.isu.edu/kchp/hlthconf. Online registration is available on the Web site. Information is also available by calling (208) 282-3155.

 “We want to stress what a varied and informative Idaho Conference on Health Care we have planned this year,” said Linda Hatzenbuehler, Ph.D., dean of the ISU Kasiska College of Health Professions. “The Conference Planning Committee tries to design an event that appeals to a variety of constituencies including students, practicing professionals and the general public.”

All health conference events are free to ISU students, faculty and staff. The conference evening keynote addresses are free and open to the public, but registration fees are required for the public for conference events held during the day. Continuing education units are available to professionals desiring them.

In conjunction with the conference, the ISU Student Activities Board is showing the film “Sicko” at 7 p.m. Oct. 23 and at 9:45 p.m. Oct. 24-25. For more information on the film showing call (208) 282-3451.

For the second consecutive year many of the conference’s presentations, including Epstein’s keynote address “Global Warming and Health,” will be broadcast to Boise via ISU’s Distance Learning Network. The live broadcasts can be viewed at Room 139 of the ISU Boise Center, located at 12301 West Explorer Drive. Capacity at the ISU Boise Center is limited and preregistration is encouraged to guarantee a seat in the 30-person capacity room.

Presentations that will be broadcast via the Distance Learning Network include:

• “Improving Health for All: Advocating for Public Health in a Changing Health Care Landscape,” by Deborah Klein Walker, 8:30 a.m. Oct. 25;

• “The Making and Breaking of National Indian Health Policy,” by Suzan Harjo, at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 25;

• “Complementary and Alternative Medicine,” by Adam Perlman, 1 p.m. Oct. 25;

• “Health Literacy: Tools for Providers,” by Michael Villaire, 2 p.m. Oct. 25;

• “Overcoming Language and Cultural Barriers to Health Care: Tools for Providers,” by Chris Dimmick, 3:30 p.m. Oct. 25;

• “The Untold Story of Medical Mistakes,” by Rosemary Gibson, 8:30 a.m. Oct. 26;

• “Adolescence is a Time-Limited Brain Disorder,” by Ken Winters, 9:30 a.m. Oct 26;

• “Habits of Highly Effective Treatment for Adolescent Drug Use,” by Winters, 1 p.m. Oct. 26.

The conference is sponsored by the Kasiska Foundation and co-sponsored by the Idaho Public Health Association, Idaho Psychological Association, the Idaho Dairy Council, the Idaho Bioterrorism Awareness and Preparedness Program and ISU Student Affairs.

For more information visit www.isu.edu/kchp/hlthconf or call (208) 282-3155.