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For Immediate Release
September, 28 2015, 01:30pm EDT
Contact:
Clare Fauke, Communications Specialist,,clare@pnhp.org
Medical Students to Hold National Day of Action for 'Medicare for All' on Oct. 1
Citing the persistence of thousands of preventable deaths each year due to lack of health insurance, students at more than 30 medical schools across the country will hold teach-ins, rallies and candlelight vigils on Thursday, Oct. 1, to bring national attention to ‘our failing health care system’ and the need for single-payer health reform
WASHINGTON
What
Students for a National Health Program (SNaHP), the student arm of Physicians for a National Health Program - working in coalition with the American Medical Student Association, WhiteCoats4BlackLives, the Latino Medical Student Association, Universities Allied for Essential Medicine, California Health Professional Student Alliance, and Pre-Health Dreamers - will hold teach-ins, rallies, and candlelight vigils at more than 30 campuses to remember the millions of people in the U.S. who remain uninsured, underinsured and underserved by our current health care system. They will also underscore the need for a more fundamental health reform - a nonprofit, publicly financed, single-payer health system.
When
Thursday, Oct. 1, various times (see the #TenOne Facebook page for individual event details, or contact students at participating schools - see list below)
Who
Medical students other health professional students, along with allies on their campuses and from surrounding communities. The public is welcome to attend.
Where
Medical schools and a few public venues across the country, including but not limited to the list at the end of this advisory.
Why
The United States is the only industrialized nation in the world that does not guarantee universal health care. Unfortunately, the Affordable Care Act is neither universal nor affordable. It will leave 30 million Americans uninsured and a comparable number underinsured, vulnerable to financial distress in the event of illness. Sharply rising deductibles and copays are deterring the insured form seeking care, and skyrocketing drug prices are putting medications out of reach. Tens of thousands of people will continue to die every year just because they lack health insurance. Medical problems are the leading cause of bankruptcy in the U.S., and research shows nearly 80 percent of those declaring bankruptcy due to medical debt had insurance at the onset of their illness. Our patients need and deserve better.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Medicare. As medical students, part of our mission is to ensure that everyone who needs care gets it. One way to achieve this goal is by improving the Medicare program and expanding it to cover all Americans. There is a bill in Congress, H.R. 676, that would do precisely that.
We urge our fellow students and the public to join us for this #TenOne: Medicare-for-All National Day of Action on Thursday, Oct. 1, to bring national attention to our failing health care system and the need for single-payer health reform.
Media visuals: Many of these events will have medical students in white coats, candles for evening vigils, signs and banners. In some cases there will be rallies with multiple speakers.
#TenOne Local Events
Teach-ins, rallies, and candlelight vigils
*Participating campuses and their SNaHP chapter leaders are updated daily.
CALIFORNIA
Coordinator: Angelica Ramirez, California Health Professional Student Alliance [angelica@cahpsa.org].
Touro University California: Matthew Musselman [matthew.musselman@tu.edu]
UC Berkeley: Ana Ibarra [anagtejeda@berkeley.edu]
UC Davis School of Medicine: Umer Waris [uawaris@gmail.com], Keyon Mitchell [keyonrmitchell@gmail.com], Callum Rowe [callumjrowe@gmail.com]
UC Irvine: Michelle Crespo [mcrespo1@uci.edu]
UC Los Angeles
UC San Francisco: Nicolas Barcelo [nicolas.barcelo@ucsf.edu]
UC San Diego
ILLINOIS
Chicago Medical Schools Coalition:
University of Chicago: Scott Goldberg [sgoldberg28@gmail.com];
University of Illinois at Chicago: Kieran Holzhauer [kholzh2@uic.edu];
Rush Medical College: [Jordan_Centers@rush.edu]
Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine: Jillian Caldwell [jcaldwell49@midwestern.edu]
IOWA
University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine: Lisa Wehr [lisa-wehr@uoiwa.edu]
KENTUCKY
University of Louisville School of Medicine: Brandi Jones [brandi.jones@louisville.edu]
MAINE
University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine: Natasha Neal [nneal@une.edu]
MASSACHUSETTS
Boston University School of Medicine: Andy Hyatt [ashyatt@bu.edu]
NEW MEXICO
University of New Mexico School of Medicine: Bryant Shuey [bryantshuey@gmail.com]
NEW YORK
PNHP NY METRO (coordinators): Becca Mahn [becca@pnhpnymetro.org] and Katie Robbins [katie@pnhpnymetro.org]
Albany Medical College: Justin Pegueros [peguerj@mail.amc.edu]
Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Tauhid Mahmud [mahmud@mail.einstein.yu.edu] and Dahlia Kenway [kenawy@mail.einstein.yu.edu]
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health: Michael Zingman [maz2127@columbia.edu]
Cornell University (Ithaca): Christine Liu [cl2262@cornell.edu]
Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai: Alice Shen [alice.shen@icahn.mssm.edu]
New York University School of Medicine: David Wang [david.wang@med.nyu.edu] and David Collins [david.collins@med.nyu.edu]
SUNY Downstate: Keriann Shalvoy [kshalvoy@gmail.com]
Weill Cornell Medical School: Claire Kenney [clk2008@med.cornell.edu]
OHIO
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine: Vanessa Van Doren [vev5@case.edu]
PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia Medical Schools Coalition:
Temple University: Emily Kirchner [emily.kirchner@temple.edu]
University of Pennsylvania: Tony Spadaro [tspadaro50@gmail.com] and Dorothy Charles [dorothy.charles@uphs.upenn.edu]
TENNESSEE
Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine: Aron Haire [aron.haire@lmunet.edu]
University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine: Diana Alsbrook [dalsbro2@uthsc.edu]
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine: Mitchell Hayes [mitchell.t.hayes@vanderbilt.edu]
VERMONT
University of Vermont College of Medicine: Kelsey Sullivan [khammon1@med.uvm.edu]
WASHINGTON
University of Washington School of Medicine: Darius Fullmer [darius.fullmer@gmail.com]
Physicians for a National Health Program is a single issue organization advocating a universal, comprehensive single-payer national health program. PNHP has more than 21,000 members and chapters across the United States.
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