Johns Hopkins Health Policy Fall Seminar Series Fall, 2008
Organized by the Department of Health Policy and Management.  All seminars will be held in the Hampton House Lecture Hall, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore MD 21205.  Seminars are from noon-1:15 p.m. Free lunch provided for all who attend, served at 12:00 p.m.  For more information, contact Pamela Davis at pdavis@jhsph.edu or 410-614-1580.

View from Capitol Hill Oct. 2, noon - 1:15 p.m.  Congressman John Sarbanes, 3rd District Maryland, with a view of the past two years of life inside the Congress...and what might be ahead.

Science, Policy, Public Health, & Politics: Bridging the Gap October 9, noon - 1:15pm Keshia Pollack and Shannon Frattaroli, faculty at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Keshia and Shannon will share their insight and experience working with the General Assembly: How should the gap be bridged? How can academics best influence legislators? What political considerations should be considered? What can you do to maximize your effectiveness to make change?

The War on Drugs - Time to End? October 16, noon - 1:15pm Jack Cole, LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) Having served for over 20 years as an undercover narcotics police officer, Jack Cole and thousands of other police officers, prosecutors, and judges have come together to form LEAP to offer a wholly new perspective. LEAP believes the US war on drugs has failed, and they support alternate policies that will lower violence, crime rates, death, disease, addiction, and societal costs. They propose ending drug prohibition. This will undoubtedly be one of most provocative talks you will ever hear: come with an open mind, and let yourself be challenged.

How Howard County Provides Health Care for All October 23, noon-1:15pm Ken Ulman, Howard County Executive Demonstrates the key role local government can play in health care.

Insurance Companies: Their Role and Responsibilities, October 30, noon-1:15pm Chet Burrell, President and CEO of CareFirst
Chet will share the challenges he faces from the inside: the role of competition; profit vs. non-profit insurance companies; how every citizen can get coverage; what is the proper role for insurance companies at the local, regional, and national level; how to balance his company's bottom line with community service.

The Lobbyist Panel November 6, noon – 1:15pm Barbara Brocato, Frank Boston, Don Murphy, Robin Shaivitz, and Pegeen Townsend
Lobbyists: Hired guns manipulating the political process or essential advocates in the machinery of democracy? How do lobbyists work? How do they see the political system?