MEDIA ADVISORY
Contact: Susan Kolodziejczyk, 254-519-8200 May 9, 2008
For Immediate Release
Texas Hospital Association President/CEO to speak to Physicians and Leaders at Metroplex Hospital on the State’s Uninsured Crisis
KILLEEN (May 12, 2008)– Dan Stultz, M.D., FACP, FACHE, President of the Texas Hospital Association will be speaking to medical staff and the governing board of Metroplex Hospital, May 12, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. He will be addressing the issue of the State’s uninsured and the crisis affect this has on all Texans. The open discussion will be in the Lovett Ledger Conference Room 3 at Metroplex Hospital.
Texas has the highest rate of residents without health insurance in the nation. Currently, one in four Texans – or nearly 5.7 million residents – has no health insurance coverage, and in Texas’ large cities one in three is uninsured. There are nearly as many Texans without health care coverage as there are people living in the entire Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Stultz said that because the rate is so high, every Texan, including those with health insurance, is affected by the crisis.
In his presentation, Dr. Stultz will explain how the uninsured crisis affects everyone, even those who have health insurance. He shows the impact of the uninsured population on the health care system, from workforce shortages to rising health care costs. Acknowledging that there are no easy answers to this crisis, he highlights recent legislative changes that begin to increase health care coverage, and why these initiatives must be expanded. Most importantly, Dr. Stultz clearly explains why the business community needs to become involved in this critical health care issue. Attendees will have the opportunity to provide feedback on specific policy changes that could make health insurance more accessible and affordable for employers and their employees – an important goal when you consider that 82 percent of the uninsured are working Texans.
About Dan Stultz, M.D.
Dan Stultz, M.D., FACP, FACHE, is president and chief executive officer of the Texas Hospital Association, an Austin-based trade association representing more than 85 percent of the state’s hospitals and health care systems. He is a member of the American Hospital Association’s Regional Policy Board 7 and of the State Hospital Association Executives Forum. A member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, he earned designation as a Fellow in 2006.
About Metroplex
Metroplex health system is the primary healthcare provider for Coryell, Bell and Lampasas counties, offering a wide array of medical and wellness services. The 236 bed, multi-campus facility is a not-for-profit Christian organization operated as a community service by the Adventist Health System, which manages more than 560 hospitals worldwide.