Geisinger Authority member disagrees with speaker choices

Oct. 26--MAHONING TWP. -- A Geisinger Authority member said Wednesday she disagrees with Geisinger bringing in "three polarizing people" to next month's national health care symposium that will feature former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as keynote speaker.

Without naming the speakers, Connie Kuziak said the symposium will not be nonpartisan.

Besides Clinton, the symposium speakers conservatives see as most polarizing are Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, former White House health care adviser to President Barack Obama and a key architect of the Affordable Care Act, and Dr. Howard Dean, a physician, former Vermont governor and former chairman of the Democratic National Committee who ran for the party's presidential nomination in 2004.

Other speakers at the symposium Nov. 8, 9 and 10 include Gail Wilensky, Ph.D., an American health economist and former White House health care adviser to George H.W. Bush; Dr. Dean Ornish, physician, author, Nobel Prize co-recipient and founder and president of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute; Dr. Thomas H. Lee, chief medical officer at Press Ganey, the organization that partners with national health care organizations to improve the safety, quality and experience of patient care, and Judy Faulkner, founder and CEO of Epic, the leading electronic health record software company in the country.

Kevin Brennan, Geisinger's executive vice president of finance and chief financial officer, told Kuziak Geisinger was not trying to make a political statement with the symposium. He said the event was about health care innovation.

"As for being nonpartisan, Dr. (Gail) Wilensky has served in a number of Republican administrations," Brennan said.

He said she is very involved in the public debate on health care.

Brennan added that Faulkner doesn't normally speak in public. He said Geisinger officials were "thrilled" she was speaking at the symposium.

Brennan said Emanuel is a well-known public speaker on health care.

"It's about health care innovation," Brennan said.

"If it helps this institution, I'm in favor of it," Kuziak said. "But those particular panelists like more government involvement in health care. That's my personal observation."

Another authority member, Barb Nied, said, "I hate partisan politics. It doesn't matter when you walk into the emergency room, they treat you."

She said of the speakers, "I'm glad they're coming."

The symposium, "From Crisis To Cure: Revitalizing America's Healthcare System," is an invitation-only event at the Pine Barn Inn. Kuziak asked authority Chairwoman Sue Kauwell if authority members were invited. Kauwell said only she was, as chairwoman, to represent the authority.

The authority finances certain capital projects of Geisinger and other nonprofits in Montour County.

Email comments to [email protected]. Follow Sylvester on Twitter @JoepSylvester.

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