Senator Bill Frist, a member of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America, led a commission fact-finding visit to East Tennessee State University (ETSU) to study some of the health challenges facing rural America.
Senator Frist was joined by several members of the commission staff, including Dr.
David R. Williams, staff director of the commission from the Harvard School of Public
Health, and Dr. Wilhelmine Miller from the George Washington School of Public Health
and Health Services and Mr. Dean Rosen from the law firm of Mehlman, Vogel and Castagnetti.
Over 200 students, faculty, and members of the public attended Dr. Williamss lecture "Building a Healthier America" provided as a part of ETSUs "Leading Voices in Public Health" Lecture Series, and then joined in a public discussion with Senator Frist and the commission staff. (Please see here for more information.)
In addition to meeting with a group of community health leaders from northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia, presenting the lecture and hosting the public meeting, the group also visited a variety of rural health programs in both Tennessee and Virginia.
The web site for the commission is www.commissiononhealth.org.