News Release
September 15, 2008
Contact: Carolyn Pennington, 860-679-4864
e-mail:
cpennington@uchc.edu
Universal Health Care Gala at Real Art Ways
Free Forum Will Highlight the Struggle of Accessing Health Care in Hartford
FARMINGTON, CONN. – Join us for an evening of art, advocacy and
conversation. Projections: The Faces of Hartford will be held
at Real Art Ways, 56 Arbor St., Hartford on Friday, Oct. 3 from 6 to
9 p.m. The event is free to the public.
“The oft-quoted statistic that 47 million Americans lack health
insurance is perhaps nowhere more apparent than in Hartford,” says
Teresa Doucet, University of Connecticut medical student and one of
the forum’s organizers. “Approximately 20-30 percent of residents of
the so-called insurance capital of the world are uninsured and twice
as many as that are underinsured.” The uninsured receive less
preventive care, less appropriate care for chronic illnesses, and
fewer hospital services when admitted. They are also more likely to
die prematurely, adds Doucet.
The forum will feature narratives from residents and health care
workers telling their stories about access (or lack thereof) to
health care in Hartford. They will also discuss some of the ways in
which the community can be empowered to take advantage and control
of the current system. There will be health literacy workshops, a
voter registration drive and art exhibits that capture the
frustration and triumphs of accessing healthcare in Hartford.
“While discussion of universal health care and intrinsic problems
of health care access go on in every coffee shop, bus stop and every
presidential campaign photo-op, the stories of these affected
individuals are rarely voiced in an influential and empowering
forum—that is until now, “ says Doucet.
The event is sponsored by the University of Connecticut Health Center, the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), and Real Art Ways. To register for this free event call 860-461-2712 or email facesofhartford@gmail.com.
UConn Health includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Home to Bioscience Connecticut, UConn Health pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about UConn Health is available at www.uchc.edu.
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