UC Davis’ annual symposium on public health is set for next week, with Covered California’s senior medical adviser, Jeffrey Rideout, as the keynote speaker. The symposium is titled, "Public Health: Start Here."

Rideout

Covered California, the state’s exchange for the federal government’s Affordable Care Act, had set a signup deadline of March 31 — but, according to news reports today (April 1), extended it to April 15 to accommodate a last-minute rush.

Rideout is sure to have the details for his talk, “Covered California — Where We Are on the Road to Improving the Health of the Community and Fulfilling the Promise of the ACA.”

The symposium, which comes during National Public Health Care Week, is scheduled from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, in the first-floor auditorium, Room 1005, of the Genome and Biomedical Sciences Facility. Admission is free and open to the public; RSVPs are highly recommended, via email, but not required.

Rideout, a physician and a 20-year veteran of California health care, serves on the board of directors of the Pacific Business Group on Health and the Integrated Healthcare Association, and has held leadership roles in health plans and health information technology companies, as well as represented major private sector employers in seeing that their benefits and plan contracts meet the needs of their employees.

He is a faculty member of the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, where he teaches an MBA course related to health care.

He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and has been and has been recognized nationally for his work and commitment to innovation in health care.

The evening is scheduled to start with a meet and greet, 5:30 to 6 p.m., followed by these two speakers:

• Julie A. Freischlag, vice chancellor, Human Health Sciences and dean, School of Medicine — “Public Health at UC Davis”
• Ron Chapman, director and state health officer, California Department of Public Health — “Public Health in California: The State of the State”

Then comes Rideout’s talk, followed by a question-and-answer session.

The program also includes a presentation by Stephen A. McCurdy, professor and interim chair, Department of Public Health Sciences, providing an update on the master’s and doctoral programs in public health.

Sponsors: Office of the Provost, the School of Medicine and the School of Veterinary Medicine.

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