UA Health-Care Policy Expert Dr. Daniel Derksen Available for Interviews, Oct. 15-18

TUCSON, Arizona, Oct. 15 -- The University of Arizona issued the following news release:

Daniel Derksen, MD, University of Arizona health-care policy and rural health expert, is available to discuss how the midterm elections could impact dramatically all aspects of the U.S. health-care system and health care -- including Medicare, Medicaid, private health insurance, prescription benefits, access to health care, costs, payment, health outcomes and the health-care economy -- at the national and state levels.

Dr. Derksen is associate vice president for health equity, outreach and interprofessional activities at the UA Health Sciences, the Walter H. Pearce Endowed Chair and professor of public health policy and management at the UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and director of the UA Center for Rural Health.

With more than 30 years as a family physician and academic, Dr. Derksen's service, research and educational activities include collecting, translating, analyzing and reporting data to inform legislative, regulatory and program policies to improve health equity; increasing health insurance coverage; reducing the number of uninsured; narrowing health disparities; and ensuring a well-trained and distributed health workforce to meet the state's and nation's needs.

The opinions expressed by Dr. Derksen are his own. He does not represent the positions of the UA or the Arizona Board of Regents.