2008 Presidential Debate | The University of Mississippi

August 26, 2008

Dr. Daniel W. Jones to Address Health Care Disparities in the U.S.

Aug. 28 lecture is among slate of events leading to Sept. 26 presidential debate

OXFORD, Miss. - As the 2008 presidential election nears, health care issues continue to be high among voters' concerns. These issues are to be addressed during the lecture "2008 Presidential Campaign and Health Care" Aug. 28 at the University of Mississippi.

Dr. Daniel W. Jones, immediate past president of the American Heart Association and vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the UM School of Medicine, is to discuss disparities in the American health care system at 11 a.m. in the Ford Center for the Performing Arts.

Held to coincide with the presidential debate scheduled at UM Sept. 26, Jones' lecture is free and open to the public. Sponsored by the School of Pharmacy, UM Medical Center and AHA, the presentation is slated to be webcast live at http://news.olemiss.edu

"Health care reform will be a key issue that presidential candidates must address in their campaigns," said Barbara G. Wells, pharmacy school dean. "Everyone knows that inequality in access to quality health care is an enormous problem in underdeveloped countries, but extensive data now show that race and place of residence can have a staggering impact on the type and quality of medical treatment a patient receives in the United States.

"It is the responsibility of every citizen, especially health care providers, to be aware of the factors that contribute to these disparities and to work toward solutions that will bring equal access to quality health care to all our citizens."

Of his upcoming lecture, Jones said, "The university is fortunate to partner with the American Heart Association in planning events around the debate to sharpen the focus on health care as a priority domestic issue. Members of the university family, including the faculty and staff of the health science campus in Jackson, are looking forward to participation in the discussion about the need to reform our health care system."

Jones serves on the AHA Board of Directors and is a member of the Council for High Blood Pressure Research. He represents the AHA on the National Institutes of Health's National High Blood Pressure Education Program Coordinating Committee and serves as their national spokesperson on high blood pressure.

He was in private practice in Laurel from 1978 to 1985, then served for seven years as a medical missionary in Korea. His work there included directing the community health department and hypertension clinic at the Wallace Memorial Baptist Hospital in Pusan. In 1992, he returned to UMMC as assistant professor of medicine and director of clinical hypertension and was named to his current position in 2003. Under his leadership, UMMC was listed among the nation's top 100 hospitals in 2007, according to Thomson Healthcare.

Jones holds a bachelor's degree from Mississippi College and medical degree from UMMC. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and designated as a specialist in clinical hypertension by the American Society of Hypertension Specialists.

For information on all presidential debate-related events, visit http://www.olemiss.edu/debate/calendar . For more information on Jones' lecture or for assistance related to a disability, contact Dabney Weems at dweems@olemiss.eduThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 662-915-1015.

To learn more about pharmacy education and research at UM, go to http://www.pharmacy.olemiss.edu .

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