The Georgia Public Policy Foundation (GPPF) hosts the 2007 Georgia Health Care Symposium: Guiding Principles for State-Based Health Care Reform.
The event brought together Georgia Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, Louis W. Sullivan, M.D., former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and a panel of national and local health care experts to address health care reform and discuss options to improve the effective delivery of health care. Panelists included: M.J. Collier Jr., M.D., vice president of the Georgia State Medical Association, Peter Pitts, former associate commissioner for external relations for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., chairman of the Foundation's Board of Governors. The panelists focused on the challenges surrounding health care delivery in Georgia, specifically addressing therapeutic substitution, which is currently before the Georgia State Legislature.
Georgia Lt. Governor Casey Cagle spoke on his new health care initiative, reinforcing his commitment to creating an affordable health care environment in which Georgia's citizens and businesses can prosper. Dr. Sullivan focused on his "symphonic" approach to health care delivery, stating that the best, most appropriate way for patients to receive care is through a symphony of health care delivery, with the doctor acting as the conductor. Dr. Sullivan emphasized that each aspect of the symphony must be transparent and fully appreciated and too much emphasis on one particular "instrument," or service area, such as cost alone, drowns out other important elements.
The program is supported by Pfizer Inc.
Bio
Lt. Governor Casey Cagle
Casey Cagle is the Lt. Governor of Georgia.
M.J. Collier Jr.
M.J. Collier Jr., M.D. is vice president of the Georgia State Medical Association.
Brenda Fitzgerald
Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., is chairman of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation's Board of Governors.
Peter Pitts
Peter Pitts is former associate commissioner for external relations for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Dr. Louis W. Sullivan
In 1975, Louis W. Sullivan, M.D., was the founding Dean and first President of Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM). With the exception of his tenure as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from 1989 to 1993, Dr. Sullivan was President of MSM for more than two decades. On July 1, 2002, he retired from the presidency, but continues to support MSM, assisting in national fund-raising activities on behalf of the school.
A native of Atlanta, Dr. Sullivan graduated magna cum laude from Morehouse College in 1954, and earned his medical degree, cum laude, from Boston University School of Medicine in 1958. He is certified in internal medicine and hematology.
Dr. Sullivan was an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School from 1963-64, and assistant professor of medicine at Seton Hall College of Medicine from 1964-65. In 1966, he became co-director of hematology at Boston University Medical Center and, a year later, founded the Boston University Hematology Service at Boston City Hospital. Dr. Sullivan joined the Boston University School of Medicine in 1966 and remained until 1975, holding positions as assistant professor of medicine, associate professor of medicine, and professor of medicine.
In 1989, Dr. Sullivan accepted an appointment by President George H.W. Bush to head HHS. Dr. Sullivan was responsible for the major health, welfare, food and drug safety, medical research and income security programs serving the American people. In January 1993, he returned to MSM as president.
Dr. Sullivan is Chairman of the board of the National Health Museum in Washington, D.C. and is Chairman of the Sullivan Alliance on Diversity in the Healthcare Workforce. He serves as Chair of the President's Commission on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and was Co-Chair of the President's Commission on HIV and AIDS from 2001 to 2006.