Program January 2009 – Heath Care: The Change We Want

January 8, 2009

Health Care: The System We Have And The Change We Want

Speakers: Dr. Abbe Sudvarg and Dr. Sidney Watson

At the monthly Women’s Voices meeting on January 8, Barbara Finch reminded Women’s Voices members of the reason this organization exists: to speak for those who are unable to speak for themselves. Her statement was made in the context of a vibrant discussion on health care reform, which featured two excellent speakers: Abbe Sudvarg, MD, and Sidney Watson, JD. Abbe described the needs at Family Health Center in Holly Hills, where she is associate medical director and family physician. Half of the center’s patients are uninsured, and as the economy worsens the number of uninsured is growing. Sidney, a professor at the St. Louis University School of Law Center for Health Law Studies, described current possibilities for reforming the nation’s unfair and inefficient health system. We were also fortunate to have Amanda Stiebel join the meeting. She spoke about her new book Are We Feeling Better Yet? Women Speak about Health Care in America, a collection of essays by professional writers, which she coedited with Colleen McKee. The book is available at Penultimate Press in St. Louis and should soon be on the shelves of Left Bank Book Store. The book was one of four given to lucky winners of a drawing. The question-answer period was lively.