Healthfirst Co-Sponsors Town Hall Meeting on Healthcare
With the passage of President Obama’s “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act”, many people have questions about how it will affect them. In an effort to proactively support the communities it serves, Healthfirst, a not-for-profit health plan with over ½ million members in New York, co-sponsored a Healthcare Forum in Harlem on July 24. Healthfirst is a healthcare organization with strong community ties which thrives when its members are healthy and informed.
U.S. Congressman Charles B. Rangel opened the discussion forum at Harlem Hospital Center with an overview of the healthcare reform bill. He then asked the forum panelists to answer some tough reform questions. Mark Riley, WWRL radio personality, moderated the discussion
Panelists on the forum included Pat Wang, J.D., President, Healthfirst; John M. Palmer, Ph.D., Executive Director, Harlem Hospital Center and the Renaissance Health Care Network; LaRay Brown, Senior Vice President of Corporate Planning, Community Health and Intergovernmental Relations, NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation; Neil Calman, M.D., President and CEO, Family Health Center at North General; Patricia A. Ricketts, Vice President of Programs, Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce; Judy Wessler, Director, Commission on the Public’s Health System; and Charles W. Shorter, Director, Thelma C. Davidson Adair/ William F. Ryan Community Health Center.
While discussing healthcare on a national and local level, panelists also tackled tough questions about how new regulations will affect the community, the public, hospitals, and health organizations. The audience then had an opportunity to ask questions of the panelists and receive candid and immediate answers.
“There are many details about how healthcare reform will work that we don’t yet know,” said Pat Wang, President, Healthfirst. “But we are very committed to working with all of the stakeholders to make sure that reform results in better healthcare for the communities we serve. To that end, we want to hear people’s feedback, concerns and questions. Their needs will shape how we, as a health plan, adapt our products to comply with new regulations and ensure that our members’ health remains our number one priority.”
The hope is that this forum was a proactive way to help to inform the community, as well as build communication and support as we all begin to prepare for the reform changes and challenges ahead.
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