News Release

September 15, 2008

Contact: Carolyn Pennington, 860-679-4864
e-mail: cpennington@uchc.edu

Universal Health Care Gala at Real Art Ways

Free Forum Will Highlight the Struggle of Accessing Health Care in Hartford

FARMINGTON, CONN. – Join us for an evening of art, advocacy and conversation. Projections: The Faces of Hartford will be held at Real Art Ways, 56 Arbor St., Hartford on Friday, Oct. 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. The event is free to the public.

“The oft-quoted statistic that 47 million Americans lack health insurance is perhaps nowhere more apparent than in Hartford,” says Teresa Doucet, University of Connecticut medical student and one of the forum’s organizers. “Approximately 20-30 percent of residents of the so-called insurance capital of the world are uninsured and twice as many as that are underinsured.” The uninsured receive less preventive care, less appropriate care for chronic illnesses, and fewer hospital services when admitted. They are also more likely to die prematurely, adds Doucet.

The forum will feature narratives from residents and health care workers telling their stories about access (or lack thereof) to health care in Hartford. They will also discuss some of the ways in which the community can be empowered to take advantage and control of the current system. There will be health literacy workshops, a voter registration drive and art exhibits that capture the frustration and triumphs of accessing healthcare in Hartford.

“While discussion of universal health care and intrinsic problems of health care access go on in every coffee shop, bus stop and every presidential campaign photo-op, the stories of these affected individuals are rarely voiced in an influential and empowering forum—that is until now, “ says Doucet.

The event is sponsored by the University of Connecticut Health Center, the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), and Real Art Ways. To register for this free event call 860-461-2712 or email facesofhartford@gmail.com.

The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. To learn more about the UConn Health Center, visit our website at http://www.uchc.edu.

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