University News
American Public Health Assn. Expert to Talk Affordable Care Act Feb. 10 at WIU
February 3, 2014
MACOMB, IL — The Affordable Care Act in the United States will be the topic of an upcoming presentation sponsored by the Western Illinois University Department of Health Sciences. Dr. Georges Benjamin, the executive director of the American Public Health Association (APHA, will deliver, "The Affordable Care Act: Why it Matters," at 9:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 10 in the College of Fine Arts and Communication (COFAC) Recital Hall on the WIU-Macomb campus.
According to the AHPA website, Benjamin is well known in the world of public health as a leader, practitioner and administrator. He has been the executive director of the APHA since December 2002. Benjamin is a graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He is board-certified in internal medicine and a fellow of the American College of Physicians, a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, a fellow emeritus of the American College of Emergency Physicians and an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health.
Maureen Bezold, assistant professor in Western's health sciences department, was instrumental in scheduling Benjamin to come to the WIU campus. She serves on the APHA's Governing Council and described him as the "premier representative of public health in the U.S."
"We are interested in bringing Dr. Benjamin to Western because he can provide additional context to the national discussion about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and talk about the ways it might impact every person in the country in some way or another," Bezold said.
College of Education and Human Services Dean Sterling Saddler noted Benjamin will discuss the ins and outs of the Affordable Care Act for the benefit of the WIU and surrounding communities.
"The College of Education and Human Services, along with the Department of Health Sciences, are pleased to bring a speaker of his caliber to campus. His level of expertise in the field of public health and knowledge about the Act will provide a bipartisan view that will benefit all," he said.
In March 2013, faculty and staff in the health sciences department renamed the "bachelor of science degree in health sciences" to the "bachelor of science degree in public health," or BSPH, to reflect incremental changes that have occurred in the curriculum over the past 20 years.
Benjamin's presentation, "The Affordable Care Act: Why it Matters," is sponsored by the College of Education and Human Services.
For more information about Benjamin's presentation, contact Bezold at (309) 298-2402 or MP-Bezold@wiu.edu. Learn more about Western's bachelor's degree in public health at www.wiu.edu/coehs/health_sciences/.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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