20081222 - Health Care Reform

I can't believe that the last time I published anything was over a month ago, but it was. Once again I am very behind in publishing. And once again I am going to skip over the past and focus on the present.
During the summer I took a couple of classes from OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Arizona) one of them was Health Care Reform: Is it Possible? The class was very interesting, mostly talking about the current status and issues of the American Health Care System with some compare and contrast with what other industrial nations are doing. At the end of the class we were working on a proposal for USA Health Care Reform.
As a result of the class I have been invited to participate in a local Health Care Community Discussion for the Obama-Biden Transition Project. We were given some material to read along with a very short survey. I am very excited to have been invited to participate.
When Obama was elected I was very hopeful and energized. It reminded me of my feelings when Kennedy was elected. Which is interesting since Obama’s election in many ways is the culmination of the policies & programs begun by Kennedy and Johnson. What made me hopeful was the sense of participation by many people and the air of inclusion. It seemed to me like another opportunity for individuals to make a difference. In Kennedy’s time I responded by joining VISTA. Now I want to do something different. But what? I am interested in our Health Care System and its problems but my fear is that since I do not have specific knowledge about it I will not be able to add much. but the class helped a lot. And who knows?