From Boston and Philadelphia to Chicago and Los Angeles, our nation’s flagship public hospitals are disappearing in a sea of apathy and red ink.
David Oshinsky, PhD, director of the Division of Medical Humanities at New York University Langone Health in New York, will discuss “The Frayed Safety Net: The Future of Public Hospitals in America,” at a free public lecture on Thursday, Oct. 4, noon to 1 p.m. in Tucson (Wednesday, Oct. 3, 5 to 7 p.m. at HSEB, C104, 435 N. 5th St. in Phoenix.)
Part of the Flinn Foundation Buffmire Lecture series, the lecture will be held in DuVal Auditorium at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson, 1501 N. Campbell Ave. Light lunch will be provided; lunch service begins at 11:45 a.m. Please RSVP at bit.do/FrayedSafetyNet
Dr. Oshinsky’s presentation will cover the dramatic impact of these hospital closings on the poor and medically underserved and the series of troubling questions raised: Is this trend irreversible? Are these hospitals worth saving? If so, are there models of success we can look to for guidance and inspiration?
An accomplished writer and American historian, Dr. Oshinsky’s latest book is Bellevue: Three Centuries of Medicine and Mayhem at America's Most Storied Hospital. His previous book, Polio: An American Story, won the Pulitzer Prize in History and the Hoover Presidential Book Award. In 2009, PBS aired “The Polio Crusade,” a documentary based on this work, and he received the Dean's Medal from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health for his distinguished contributions to the field of public health.
Please note: Free parking will be available in the Banner – University Medical Center Tucson Visitor/Patient Parking Garage, just south of the hospital; bring your parking ticket to the lecture to be validated.
For more information, please contact Ross DuBois, UA College of Medicine – Tucson, 520-626-9037, email duboisr@email.arizona.edu
About David Oshinsky, PhD
Dr. Oshinsky is director of the Division of Medical Humanities at NYU Langone Health. The Division encourages students to address key issues in health care through the prism of the humanistic disciplines, including history, literature, philosophy and the visual arts. He also is a professor in the NYU Department of History. He is a graduate of Cornell University and obtained his doctorate from Brandeis University.
About the Flinn Foundation Buffmire Lecture series
Initiated in 1997, the Flinn Foundation Buffmire Lecture series continues the Flinn Foundation’s commitment to bring to Arizona leading practitioners and thinkers in the medical field. The lectureship offers physicians, students and community members opportunities to hear from distinguished leaders in the field of medicine and medical education. In 2008, the annual lecture was expanded to a bi-annual event and includes presentations at both the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix and UA College of Medicine – Tucson.
The lectureship is named for the late Donald K. Buffmire, MD, in recognition of his distinguished career as a medical practitioner in Arizona and his leadership role with the Flinn Foundation in supporting the UA Colleges of Medicine. Dr. Buffmire, who died in July 2008 at age 85, served on the board of the Flinn Foundation for 36 years, from 1965 to 2001, including 14 years as its chair.
The Phoenix-based Flinn Foundation is a privately endowed organization that awards grants to non-profit organizations in Arizona, primarily to improve the competitiveness of the state’s biomedical research enterprise.
About the UA College of Medicine – Tucson
The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson is shaping the future of medicine through state-of-the-art medical education programs, groundbreaking research and advancements in patient care in Arizona and beyond. Founded in 1967, the college boasts more than 50 years of innovation, ranking among the top medical schools in the nation for research and primary care. Through the university’s partnership with Banner Health, one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the country, the college is leading the way in academic medicine. For more information, please visit medicine.arizona.edu