Access to health care for all Americans is a growing concern across the nation and a frequent topic of discussion in the current presidential election campaign. As part of that dialogue, the New Hanover County Health Summit will bring together health care and economics professionals from the region to discuss the realities, issues and challenges of health care access and its economic and social impact on our community.

The Annual New Hanover County Health Summit will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, September 19, 2008, at the Burney Center on the campus of the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Media are welcome to attend and cover this event. Opportunities can be made available for interviews with the presenters and participants. The summit is not open to the general public.

The first in a series, the 2008 summit will provide an overview of health care issues facing the growing number of uninsured and underinsured in New Hanover County, and what these issues mean to the county’s citizens. By addressing the economic, social and personal implications for both consumers and providers of health care, the summit is intended to increase awareness and provide a forum for discussing solutions and strategies for significant results.

Summit presenters include:

• Mark Holmes, vice president of the North Carolina Institute of Medicine, who will begin with a presentation placing New Hanover County’s health care situation in context with issues affecting all of North Carolina
• Chris Dumas, associate professor of economics and finance, UNCW Cameron School of Business, who will share information on the economic issues associates with health care access

These presentations will be followed by facilitated panel discussions with health care providers and members of the business community, then roundtable discussions on specific issues and possible solutions and strategies for addressing them.

The Summit is a collaborative project between Cape Fear Healthy Carolinians, New Hanover County Health Department, New Hanover Regional Medical Center and UNC Wilmington.

Media contacts:
Woody Sutton, UNCW Division for Public Service and Continuing Studies, 910.962.7074 or suttonc@uncw.edu

Dana Fischetti, Manager of News and Media Relations, 910.962.7259 or fischettid@uncw.edu