2009 Conference Highlights: June 12
Innovative Thinkers and Scientists Share and Discuss Health Care Reform
Celebrating the Legacy, Forging the Future
Mrs. Tipper Gore, Honorary Chair of Mental Health America's Centennial Conference and Celebration, opened today's sessoin to more than 500 mental health advocates and consumers.
"The mental health movement that Clifford Beers launched 100 years ago has been a road paved with many obstacles and challenges, but one that has also brought us many victories and milestones," said Gore, "We all know mental illnesses are diagnosable, treatable and, entirely manageable, if not fully recoverable."
"There are still a great number of wrongs that need to be righted when it comes to mental illness. I'm talking about discrimination, shame, stigma. I'm talking about how mental illness has been segregated from other illnesses, even though it can be just as painful as heart disease and just as disabling as a stroke, not to mention the effects of mental illnesses on the entire family, added Gore.
A Conversation With George Stephanopoulos
The Keynote Luncheon on Friday, June 12, features "A Conversation with George Stephanopoulos." The host of "This Week" and chief Washington Correspondent for ABC News, Stephanopoulos discussed the opportunities and challenges facing the Obama Administration in a session moderated by Bob Boorstin, an executive with Google and former aide to President Bill Clinton.
American's Opinions on Health Care
Boorstin then moderated a panel exploring Americans' attitudes on health care and reform that Bill McInturff, pollster for the McCain campaign, Michael Bloomfield is the Executive Vice President and Managing Director of The Mellman Group, a polling and market research firm and Lisa Davis of AARP's Divided We Fail Campaign, Dr. Michael Hogan, Commissioner of the New York State Office of Mental Health, and JoAnn Volk, senior health care lobbyist at the AFL-CIO.
Health Care Reform - Forging the Future
A roundtable of political and health experts, including White House policy veteran Chris Jennings; Karen Ignani, CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans; and Ron Dozoretz, founder and CEO of ValueOptions examined. The next steps for health care reform.
Innovations in Research and Treatment
Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN lead a panel examining advances in treatment and prevention of mental health conditions, featuring Dr. Ronald Kessler, the world's most cited mental health researcher; former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt, a founding member of the Council for American Medical Innovations; and Dr. Alan Leshner, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
"We are practicing 1950's cardiology; we are waiting for the heart attack," said Dr. Kessler. "Most of the (damage) is done way beyond after it happens."
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