Want to Learn More about Healthcare Reform?  

The Buckeye Area Ministerial Association (BAMA) is offering an opportunity for all community members to meet and civily engage with each other on the difficult issue of healthcare.  BAMA is an association of pastors and laity of various faiths and has facilitated a number of successful public dialogues on various issues so disparate as school funding, faith tolerance, the Iraq war, Mid-East conflict, the respect for civil discourse, to name a few.

We cannot conceive of an issue more critical than healthcare, nor more confusing and rife with ill will and misunderstanding.  We are not so foolish as to believe we can flush out all the answers.  

What we have done is arrange three public meetings enlisting recognized professionals from various areas of the healthcare field:

• The first meeting will encourage public discourse facilitated by a Cleveland Metro physician. 

Guest Facilitators: 

- Rev. D. Gene Kraus, Interim Pastor, Emmanuel UCC Valley City

- Dr. Joseph Deprano, Physician, Cleve. MetroHealth Medical Center

• The second meeting will feature five panelists which include hospital adminstrators, a nursing professional, a Medina County Dept. of Health co-ordinator, and a consumer couple. Time will be devoted to Q & A. 

Guest Speakers: 

- Sister Judith Ann Karam, Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine St. Vincent Charity Hospital

- Ms. Coleen Rice, Community Relations Specialist, Medina Co. Dept Health

- Ms. Carol Sadler, Consulting Healthcare Actuary with Large Benefits Consulting Firm

- Mr. Tom Whelan, Admn. Lodi Community Hospital

• The third meeting will feature the Executive Director of Faithful Reform in Healthcare which promotes comprehensive healthcare reform. Civil discourse and Q& A is encouraged. 

Guest: 

- Rev. Linda Hanna Walling, Executive Director of Faithful Reform in Healthcare