Constitution Day: Faculty Panel Discusses Health Care Reform

About 75 people, including students and community residents alike, turned out for Constitution Day 2009 program at the main campus. The forum was devoted to the complexities of health care reform and was titled "Is Universal Health Care Constitutional?"

Several Saint Leo faculty members gave presentations drawn from their own expertise, and, in some cases, countries of origin. Hudson Reynolds, associate professor of political science, recapped 50 years of American health care reform efforts by various politicians. He noted the U.S. Constitution does not discuss a right to health care. But the constitutions of some other countries do, so members of an international panel described health care rights and economics in other nations, and drew comparisons with aspects of the American health care system. Marco Rimanelli, professor of political science, discussed Italy; Patricia Campion, associate professor of sociology, described France; Astrid Vicas, associate professor of philosophy, cleared up misconceptions about her native Canada; and Galo Alava, assistant professor of health care administration, discussed Ecuador, where he was trained as a physician.

Finally, Gavin Putzer, who holds both a medical degree and a doctorate, spotlighted the most critical aspects of health care in America now under discussion: access to care, quality of care, and cost. Anthony Esposito, assistant professor of history, moderated.

Constitution Day
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