Healthcare Summit and Healthcare Reform News Releases:

eHealth, January 27: A major summit begins tomorrow in Florida on health care reform, with Donna Shalala moderating this summit. There will be a dedicated topic on Health Information Technology with one of the key speakers C. Martin Harris of the Cleveland Clinic. The conference website notes the recent Rand Corporation study stating, "that properly implemented and widely adopted, HIT would save money and significantly improve health care quality. Annual savings from efficiency alone could be $77 billion or more, and health and safety benefits could double savings while reducing illness and prolonging life." National Healthcare Summit kicks off in Miami
http://ehealth.johnwsharp.com/2009/01/27/health-care-summit-conversations.aspx

The Miami Hurricane, January 29: With myriad problems facing the United States, none is more pressing or elicits so many differing responses as the broken healthcare system.

In an effort to establish a reform strategy, 11 American leaders from fields such as business, government, labor and healthcare met with each other on Jan. 28 in the BankUnited Center to kick off the first in a series of Summit Conversations covering national healthcare. UM President Donna E. Shalala, former Secretary of Health and Human Services, introduced the discussion as well as participated in it along with former Rep. Dick Gephardt. PhRMA CEO and President Billy Tauzin and Scotts Miracle-Gro CEO Jim Hagedorn among others.
http://www.themiamihurricane.com/2009/01/29/national-healthcare-summit-kicks-off-in-miami/

WASHINGTON - March 3 - On the eve of President Obama's healthcare summit Thursday, the nation's largest organization of registered nurses said today that expanding and updating Medicare to cover everyone is the most cost-effective and comprehensive approach to achieving the goals and principles outlined by the president in his recent address to Congress and budget proposal.
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/03/03-21

USA Today: WASHINGTON March 4 — President Obama kicked off the first serious effort to overhaul the nation's health care system in 15 years Thursday with a pledge to include Republicans and consider opposing views — and a vow to get it done this year.

In a White House session that brought disparate factions together, Obama elicited promises of cooperation from lawmakers and stakeholders who in the past have been at loggerheads over how to fix the system. He and others emphasized areas of agreement and said they would work amicably on their differences.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-03-04-health_N.htm

Washington Post, March 5: Obama opens healthcare summit March 5, 2009:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/05/AR2009030501850.html

Boston Globe, March 5: Healthcare is the message of the day at the White House -- and if President Obama succeeds in an overhaul that helps many of the 47 million Americans without insurance -- could be one of his signature achievements.

Obama is convening a summit this afternoon with about 150 elected officials and representatives of groups that have much at stake in the outcome -- and that helped kill the last attempt at an overhaul during the Clinton administration 16 years ago.

"The Forum will bring together the people who have a stake in our health care system and the people who have the ability to change it; those who worked to pass health care reform a decade ago and those who worked to defeat it," the White House says in a background paper.
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/03/obama_convenes_1.html

The New York Times, March 5: Update | 4:09 p.m. The wrap up session: President Obama entered the room with Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who said said he looked forward to being a “foot soldier” in the push for health care reform and “this time we will not fail.” President Obama said on Thursday that though “special interests” and “industry lobbying” had blocked improvements in the health care system for decades, he vowed to end the stalemate this year and ensure that all Americans have access to affordable health care.

“Those who seek to block any reform at any cost will not prevail this time around,” Mr. Obama said in opening a White House conference, where he promised to reduce health costs and expand coverage.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/05/white-house-health-care-summit/

CNN, March 5 -- President Obama on Thursday called for a comprehensive overhaul of the U.S. health care system, warning that soaring medical costs present "one of the greatest threats not just to the well-being of our families ... but to the very foundation of our economy."

Obama made his remarks while addressing a group of lawmakers, doctors, hospital officials and advocates at a White House summit on health care reform -- one of the president's top domestic priorities.

In a surprising and emotional moment, Obama was joined by Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, a longtime advocate of health care reform who has been battling brain cancer. Kennedy has been largely out of the public eye in recent months.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/05/health.care.summit/

National Public Radio, March 5, 2009 • The Obama administration is holding a meeting today at the White House with key players in the health care debate. They will look at ways of overhauling the nation's system of providing medical care.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101479567

UPI, Obama’s remarks, complete transcript: Obama's remarks to open healthcare summit, WASHINGTON, March 5 (UPI) -- The following are remarks U.S. President Barack Obama made Thursday in Washington to open a healthcare summit at the White House.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/03/05/Obamas_remarks_to_open_healthcare_summit/UPI-13031236280608/