Health care discussion panel

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Student Pre-Medical Society will host a free public panel discussion on health care reform and how it could affect Alaskans Sunday, Oct. 25, from 4-6 p.m. at the Davis Concert Hall on the UAF campus.

"The UAF pre-med society's goal is to offer the public useful information and discussion on health care reform in understandable language," said Nick Bajada, public relations officer for the society and an undergraduate in UAF's biomedical program.

Panelists include Richard Seifert, a UAF professor and member of the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Foundation Board; state Sen. Joe Paskvan, vice chairman of the Senate Health, Education and Social Services Committee; Melanie Arthur, UAF assistant professor of sociology; Mike Powers, Fairbanks Memorial Hospital CEO and fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives; state Rep. John Coghill, member of the Health, Education and Social Services Committee and the HESS finance subcommittee; Lloyd Hilling, Tanana Valley Campus economics instructor; and Dr. Mark Simon, medical director of Golden Heart Emergency Physicians.

The event is free and the public is encouraged to attend. Seating is limited.

CONTACT: Nick Bajada, UAF Pre-Medical Society public relations officer, nickbajada@gmail.com. Marie Gilbert, Institute of Arctic Biology information officer, at 907-474-7412 or megilbert@alaska.edu

Public meeing on health care with Senator Begich

Senator Begich will be holding a forum in Fairbanks, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 26, at Friends Community Church, 1485 30th Avenue. Begich has held open discussions/question-and-answer town hall meetings in Anchorage and Juneau; according to the Anchorage Daily News, they've been beyond "lively" and have gone into outright rudeness.

Begich said he's interested in what people have to say about health care reform, but is growing tired of the lies, myths and fear tactics.

"Now the media are talking about the 'swift-boating' of health reform over the recess," Begich told the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce in a lunchtime speech. He said he's seeing evidence of a political smear campaign in television ads.

Health reform protesters have been hijacking town hall meetings around the country. There's controversy over whether the dissent is real and grassroots, or a sophisticated attack intended to bring down President Obama and the health reforms he seeks.

The point of having a forum like this is to allow the public an opportunity to a) express their opinions, and b) ask questions of—and receive answers from—their representatives in government. That means that when a person is asking their question, everyone else in the audience should let them, and let them hear the answer. It's pretty basic courtesy, but some people just don't want anybody else to have their say.

Let's hope that Fairbanksans will behave like grownups, willing to let every questioner speak, and let Senator Begich answer.

Single-payer health care teach-in at UAF

Addendum 6/30/09: this teach in was postponed and will be rescheduled.

Neil Davis is a guest speaker at a teach-in on single-payer health care systems to be held at the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, Saturday, June 27, from 1 to 5 pm at the Boyd Berry Auditorium in the Reichardt Building (the Natural Sciences Facility).

In the midst of the health care reform debate, single-payer health care, although a system successfully used in many industrialized countries, including Australia, Canada, and Taiwan, is not even being considered by Congress. Why? Is it a viable option? How does this system work? What advantages does it have over our own? What disadvantages? How does it compare to our own system, or that of countries like Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, New Zealand, or the Netherlands? Explore these questions and others at this event.

Talk of Alaska

I will be on Steve Heimel's APRN "Talk of Alaska" program airing at 10:00 am tomorow, Tuesday, June 9. We will be talking about the progress of health care reform.

Addendum 6/9/09: a link to the broadcast is available at the Talk of Alaska website. Senator Hollis French (D-Anchorage) was Steve Heimel's other guest.

Davis to participate in the 3rd Alaska Book Festival

The 2009 Alaska Book Festival will be held in Fairbanks on June 11, 12, and 13, with the theme "Historically Alaska." Neil Davis will be available during the general author book signings on Friday the 12th and Saturday the 13th (4 to 6 pm each day at the Exhibit Hall at Pioneer Park) . He will also be on a panel discussion from 10 to 11:30 am on Saturday, "Writing, Publishing, and Marketing Your Book," in the theatre at Pioneer Park.

April author events in Fairbanks

April 4: talk at the meeting of the UAF Society of Pre-med Students, 6 pm

April 28: IDEA Curriculum Fair, Westmark Hotel & Convention Center, 11 to 1

Neil Davis on Sleep in Saturdays with Matt Want

Matt Want hosts a local talk show on 660-KFAR on Saturday mornings from 10 to 11 am, choosing a different topic each week. This Saturday's topic is the US health care system and Neil Davis has been invited to be on the show. You can call in with questions or ask for advice; the phone number is 907.458.8255 (458-TALK).

(Cross-posted on The Ester Republic blog)

UAF: lecture by Devra Davis on cancer prevention and public health policy

Condensed from the public announcement:

UAF is hosting a talk by Devra Lee Davis, a University of Pittsburg epidemiology professor and author, on Thursday, Sept. 4, at 7 p.m. in Schaible Auditorium. Davis’ lecture, “The Secret History of the War on Cancer,” is free and open to the public, and will be webcast at the website of the Center for Alaska Native Health Research.

Devra Davis advocates for changing the way public health looks at cancer prevention by including toxin awareness.

“I believe if we had acted on what has long been known about the industrial and environmental causes of cancer when this war first began, at least a million and half lives could have been spared…” she writes in the preface to her book, The Secret History of the War on Cancer. Published in 2007, the book is used at major schools of public health, including Harvard, Emory, and Tulane universities.

Davis is the director of the University of Pittsburg Center for Environmental Oncology, the world’s first research institute dedicated to studying cancers caused by environmental pollution. She is also an epidemiology professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health.

The Center for Alaska Native Health Research at the UAF Institute for Arctic Biology, University Advancement, Alaska INBRE, the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics; Alaska EPSCoR, and Tanana Chiefs Conference are sponsoring her trip.

Davis will also give public lectures in Nome and in Anchorage at the University of Alaska Anchorage. The Alaska Community Action on Toxics is the host for this part of her Alaska journey.

Public discussion of health care March 18

With Fairbanks Community Hospital Foundation trustee Richard Seifert acting as master of ceremonies, author Neil Davis and Mike Powers, CEO of the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, will give a short presentation on the healthcare situation in America and Alaska today, followed by an informal Q&A and discussion. This will also be a book release party in the convivial atmosphere of the Blue Loon theatre, club, and bar, where the attendees can eat dinner while they participate and celebrate the publication of a much-needed guide through the byzantine billing methods of our current healthcare system.

Where: the Blue Loon, 2999 Parks Highway

When: 5:30 to 7:30 pm, March 18, Tuesday evening

Please come and bring your perspective and experiences to the discussion!

Book news: upcoming events, first review

Two book signing events are scheduled in Fairbanks within the next week:

February 28, 6 to 8 pm at Gulliver's Books, College Road

Alaska Library Association Conference
Saturday, March 1, 2:30 to 4, Princess Hotel

Dermot Cole of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner writes, "I look forward to reading the latest book from Fairbanks scientist and writer Neil Davis, a thoughtful researcher who has spent more time than anyone I know studying the health care system."

And David A. James, also of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, has written the first published review of Mired in the Health Care Morass, titled "Mired offers eloquent indictment of America's health care system", calling Davis' writing "eloquent," "persuasive," "commendable," and "illuminating."

A Note from the Publisher: Book signing at Gulliver's

The advance copies of Mired in the Health Care Morass are due from the printer today, and the main shipment should be arriving before the end of February. Please contact the publisher if you are interested in obtaining a review copy for your periodical.

Gulliver's Books, Fairbanks, Alaska's local independent bookstore, will be hosting the first book signing on February 28, Thursday evening, 6-8 pm.

Talk at the Interior Democrats' luncheon

Neil Davis on health care finance at the Interior Democrats' Luncheon
Westmark Hotel, 12 noon
813 Noble Street, #1
Fairbanks, Alaska