The untold story of Medicare

— It gave healthcare to 19 million seniors in 11 months with no hiccups —

It desegregated our nation’s hospitals

POWER TO HEAL, a 2018 documentary, tells the powerful story of rapidly mobilized volunteers changed healthcare. Across the nation, hospitals racially segregated patients, doctors, blood supplies and linens. In the South, 1/3 of hospitals refused to admit African-Americans even for emergencies.  And then came Medicare money and the courage of outrage.

 “We should be inspired by Medicare's role in desegregating our nation's hospitals, and should insist on further reform – like improved Medicare for all - to address the systemic racism that plagues patients of color to this day."  — Dr. Claudia Fegan, National Coordinator, Physicians for a National Health Program. 

Following the film, a panel discussion will include 

Harriet Washington, award-winning author of Medical Apartheid (2006), Deadly Monopolies (2011), Infectious Madness (2015), and A Terrible Thing to Waste (2019), a fellow in ethics at Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, a scholar at the Tuskegee National Center for Bioethics.

Dr. Donald Moore, a Brooklyn physician, trustee and past president of the Kings Medical Society, who contends daily with continuing disparities in care. 

Phyllis Cunningham, RN:   staff member with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Medical Committee for Human Rights (MCHR), who trained federal inspectors to find civil rights violations in hospitals in 1965.

Roosa Sofia Tikkanen, MPH, MRes , Research Associate at The Commonwealth Fund, focused on health policy analysis, including disparities in care and outcomes across industrialized countries, with significant research on NYC health, holds her degree from Harvard School of Public Health.

Sponsored by the Harvard Club of LI and Cinema Arts Centre, a light breakfast will be included for those arriving before 10:45am; members $11, non-members $16.  Contact Judy before Jan 18 at [email protected] to RSVP, to request guest info and transport between LIRR station and theater.