Thousands of medical, nursing and public health students throughout the nation will participate in on-campus activities to learn more about the plight of the more than 41 million Americans who lack health insurance. Many leading national organizations comprised of health educators and students who are enrolled in medical, nursing and public health schools are planning the events, as part of Cover the Uninsured Week, an unprecedented series of national and local events designed to raise awareness about the uninsured. The campus events are planned for Tuesday, March 11 at medical, dental, public health and nursing schools across the country. Student members, local chapters and offices of the American Medical Association (AMA), American Medical Student Association (AMSA), Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC), Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH), American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), and the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) will participate in campus events nationwide.
Cover the Uninsured Week is a weeklong series of hundreds of events taking place in dozens of communities from coast to coast during March 10-16. To advance the nation's understanding of the uninsured, some of the most influential organizations in the United States, including the American Medical Association and the American Nurses Association, are joining with The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to cosponsor the week.
"Today's students are tomorrow's health leaders, and it is crucial for them to understand that millions of uninsured Americans live sicker and die younger than they should because they lack health care coverage," said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., president and CEO of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "These campus discussions are making it clear to the next generation of physicians and nurses that they will not be able to provide the best care for every patient until the uninsured have health coverage."
A new teaching guide developed for the week is the basis for discussion during the campus events. The guide highlights the prevalence and demographics of people who lack health insurance, coverage trends, policy options and the serious health consequences of going without health insurance. The primer was prepared by the non-partisan Alliance for Health Reform, co-chaired by Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) with the support of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
"We're pleased that so many schools are hosting events to educate students about this issue and raise awareness about the uninsured," said Yank D. Coble, Jr., M.D., president of the American Medical Association. Not having meaningful medical insurance has significant consequences for patients and their families, and puts a tremendous burden on the entire health care system."
Medical research shows that uninsured Americans often delay medical treatment and preventive screenings because they cannot afford them. As a result, the uninsured often live sicker and die younger than Americans who have health insurance coverage. Uninsured men are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with a late stage of colon cancer as insured men. Similarly, uninsured women who develop breast cancer are twice as likely to die from the disease as insured women who have breast cancer.
Some of the campus events being held include:
• Morehouse School of Medicine will host a campus event that also will include students from Emory University Medical School, Georgia State University Nursing School, Spelman College, and Clark Atlanta University with former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Sullivan, M.D. participating. Representatives from the Medical Association of Georgia, Georgia Hospital Association, Georgia Nurses Association and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia will also participate.
• University of Southern California will hold a campus discussion at the county hospital, featuring USC faculty, medical students and representatives from other health organizations.
• New York Academy of Medicine and the Mt. Sinai Medical Center will host a joint event that announces their latest research on the effects of the uninsured on community health, with medical students participating.
• University of Miami School of Medicine will lead their campus events with a discussion of the economics of health care delivery, the challenges and solutions of improving the health care system and the social changes needed to improve care for the uninsured. Students and faculty from several different campuses will be in attendance, along with University President Donna Shalala, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.
"We can make real progress in educating millions of Americans about the consequences of being uninsured, and where better to begin than with students," said Barbara A. Blakeney, RN, president of the American Nurses Association. "Students who are about to begin their careers as nurses and physicians are motivated by a desire to do their best to care for people. One obstacle they face is that one in seven Americans have no health coverage, making it difficult to provide them with the very best care we have to offer."
In addition to the American Medical Association, American Nurses Association and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Cover the Uninsured Week is cosponsored by a diverse array of national organizations including: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, AFL-CIO, The Business Roundtable, Service Employees International Union, Healthcare Leadership Council, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Health Insurance Association of America, Families USA, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, American Hospital Association, Federation of American Hospitals, Catholic Health Association of the United States, AARP, United Way of America, The California Endowment, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
To view the teaching guide, for a complete listing of the week's events, or for additional quotes from participating organizations, log on to www.CoverTheUninsuredWeek.org/media.