Two Tuesdays January 21 & 28, 12:30 pm
Hal Slavkin, Professor and Dean Emeritus from USC, returns
to Crowell Library on two Tuesdays, January 21st and January 28th, with
two lectures on the advances in healthcare based on new understanding of the
human genome. The U.S. healthcare system
as it exists essentially rations healthcare by income class or socioeconomic
status. According to Dr. Slavkin, the
U.S. currently pays more for healthcare than any other industrial nation in the
world in terms of percent gross domestic product at 18.9% with Switzerland 2nd
at 12.3%. Current spending of $3.5 trillion for healthcare (for >70% of
population) will become $5.6 trillion by 2027.
How can we increase access to
the entire U.S. population, reduce costs to 10% GDP, and improve health
outcomes? Profoundly significant
discoveries have and are being made that can provide innovation and
transformation for US healthcare. This lecture series will highlight what is
and what might be.
Hal Slavkin received undergraduate (English
Literature) and dental degrees from USC. After postdoctoral studies at UCLA, he
returned to USC as full-time faculty (1968-2014) and department chair of
Biochemistry, and director of the research group in Craniofacial Molecular
Biology. As dean of the dental school, he spent five years as director of NIDCR
at the NIH during the Clinton Administration (1995-2000). He is Member of
National Academy of Medicine. He published 570 scientific papers, edited 11
books, authored two texts, one novel, and wrote and produced the PBS program, A Lifetime of Change.
He serves on Boards of LA Trust for
Children’s Health and Santa Fe Group, an advocacy group created to address
underserved populations with respect to access, quality and cost of health
care. The Group is presently working to add oral health benefits to Medicare.
He supports wife’s gourmet cooking by chopping and washing dishes, pots and
pans and also loving “Molly” a Cavalier King Charles puppy of four months.
This
program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. No reservations are required.
