Future leaders get crash course in health care

Midway through Thursday's daylong educational program on health care, participant Samantha Jones was feeling somewhat overwhelmed by discussions on the health care reform debate.

But the owner of Mellow Mushroom restaurant said she was confident that, by the time the day wrapped up -- as has happened numerous times during her first three months in the Leadership Chattanooga development program -- she'd feel deeply engaged in the debate.

Usually, "by the end of the day, I feel so passionate about the topic of the day and I have to learn more," said Ms. Jones, 34.

In the 10-month program, Leadership Chattanooga participants get training in a different topic each month, from education to human rights. This year, the organizers at the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce added health care into the mix, based on feedback from former participants, said Diane Parks, director of leadership and community development at the Chamber.

Participants pay tuition and must be nominated for Leadership Chattanooga, which is geared toward people who are in the early or middle stages of their career and are looking to take on leadership roles.

On Thursday, almost 40 attendees heard from health care researchers, hospital executives, doctors, insurers and local public health officials during the training event held at Erlanger hospital.

Two hours of the morning were devoted to a panel on health care reform, led by Craig Becker, president of the Tennessee Hospital Association.

Mr. Becker said some of the reform proposals do little to address the need for fundamental change in the way care is provided in America, a system focused on treating sickness rather than promoting wellness.

"So much of this is geared toward payment reform and not system reform," he said. "If we don't get down to how we provide the care ... we'll be back at this in another five years."

At the training session, Ron Harr, senior vice president with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, said he discussed the insurance industry's role in the reform debate. He highlighted the industry support for guaranteeing insurance to people regardless of their pre-existing conditions, so long as reform mandates that almost everyone must be covered by a health plan.

"When people really are exposed to the firehouse of information about this issue, they get energized," he said in a phone interview after his talk. "It's really kind of interesting to watch people get charged up, no matter what side of the issue they fall out on."

Participant Armando Rodriguez, 34, said he gained a lot from a session on health disparities in Chattanooga.

"This is just a great opportunity for people like myself, that want to be leaders, to become more effective because we're more informed," the TVA senior program manager said.

TOPICS COVERED

* "Local health disparities," Ione Farrar, senior research analyst, Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies

* "Health care reform and its effects" panel discussion, Craig Becker, president of the Tennessee Hospital Association; Dr. B.W. Ruffner, president-elect of the Tennessee Medical Association; Jim Hobson, CEO of Memorial Hospital; Jim Brexler, CEO of Erlanger hospital

* "Insurance companies' role in health care reform," Ron Harr, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee

* "Public health issues and the truth on the H1N1 vaccine," Dawn Ford, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department

* "State and local programs," Rae Bond, Chattanooga and Hamilton County Medical Society

* "Emergency system in Hamilton County," Dr. Jim Creel

* "How are we accountable in the health care crisis?" John Bilderback, StepOne, local health department