April 2, 1999

Alumni and faculty of the MGH Institute of Health Professions (IHP) gathered with MGH clinicians to discuss health care issues of underserved populations at a special program March 24, sponsored by the IHPs Alumnae/i Association.

James J. Mongan, MD, MGH president, delivered the keynote address about the approximately 40 million Americans who are uninsured and underinsured. Drawing on his previous experience working for the government addressing Medicare and Medicaid legislation, Mongan spoke about why the country has failed to adequately address the problem of health care coverage for all Americans. "The key lesson I have learned from the health care reform debate in Congress is that it is not now and never has been primarily about health care – it is about financing health care," said Mongan.

Following Mongan's remarks, IHP alumni who have devoted their professional careers to caring for the homeless, the poor, the elderly, the handicapped and the uninsured discussed their personal and professional perspectives on the issue.

Leading the discussion were William Levine, FNP, MBA, a nurse practitioner who serves the homeless and prisoner populations through Boston Healthcare for the Homeless, the Barbara McInnes House and the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Concord; Jennifer Bottomley, PhD, PT, a geriatric rehabilitation consultant who assists low-income elderly with foot care and footwear; and Jana Healey, MS, CCC-SLP, a speech-language pathologist who provides home care for autistic children through the May Center for Early Childhood Education.

The discussion was facilitated by Leslie Portney, PhD, PT, a physical therapist and faculty member who directs IHP's entry-level physical therapy program. "These three alumni and many others credit the Institute with developing their commitment to the underserved," said Portney. "We're very proud of the leadership roles our graduates take."

© 1999 Massachusetts General Hospital.