Saint Francis to hold 'Healthy Kids' discussion

On Thursday, June 19, Resurrection Health Care and Saint Francis Hospital will host a community health roundtable forum focused on opening the national discussion of healthcare reform to the community.

The community roundtable will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Saint Ignatius, Gym, 6559 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Panelists will include Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin (13th District), hospital executives, physicians, healthcare advocates, and clergy. Phil Ponce of WTTW Chicago Tonight will serve as moderator for the roundtable. The public is welcome.

More than 1.7 million people in Illinois are without health insurance coverage, 376,000 of which are children. Health reform has become a part of the national conversation, from the community grassroots level to presidential campaign platforms. As the nation faces a healthcare crisis, people across the nation are working together to develop a solution. The community health roundtable will serve as an opportunity to build consensus for change and incorporate the community into the discussion on health reform. Issues such as the availability of healthcare and the financial costs are topics which affect a community’s ability to thrive.

The community health roundtables are organized as part of the 1,000 Healthy Kids & Families campaign, a one-day enrollment drive on June 21, 2008, to enroll 1,000 children the Illinois’s All Kids health insurance program. The campaign is a community partnership organized by Resurrection Health Care and its eight community partners. For more information, visit www.1000healthykids.org.