Public Forum: “Are We Sometimes Overdosing on Health Care?”

Fergus Falls will have the chance to be part of a national conversation about health care

costs during National Public Health Week.

“Are We Sometimes Overdosing on Health Care?” is the question being posed by Baby

Boomers for Balanced Health Care, a group of citizens concerned about out of control

health care spending.

“We have looked at many issues contributing to the tsunami of health care spending in our

country,” said Dr. Bill Doherty, director of the Citizen Professional Center at the University

of Minnesota. “While many things are beyond our control, we are focusing on the widely-

held cultural belief that more health care is better health care.”

Local resident Bill Adams, a member of Baby Boomers for Balanced Health Care, will

facilitate the Fergus Falls conversation along with Doherty. “We are a group of citizen Baby

Boomers who want to start a cultural conversation about having balanced health care, not

just more health care,” said Adams.

Doherty is nationally recognized for his work in citizen engagement and cultural change

issues. He and Adams recently spoke at the Lown Institute’s national conference in San

Diego, a Boston-based group dedicated to working on over-use in healthcare. Doherty and

Adams have presented to other national audiences concerned about healthcare costs and

over-use issues.

Baby Boomers for Balanced Health Care has been endorsed by Consumer Reports as part of

the national Choosing Wisely campaign. Adams and Doherty are scheduled to present to

Choosing Wisely partners on their work in citizen engagement.

“This is an exciting opportunity for our community,” said Diane Thorson, Otter Tail County

Public Health director. “We want to continue the community conversations we began that

are helping us build a culture of health,” Thorson said. “We are seeking people’s input as we

work to design a sustainable rural health model that works.” Thorson explained that

unwise spending on health care can rob us of resources that we need for other priorities

like education, roads and bridges, community safety, housing and preventative health.

Thorson said the community conversation is part of the new Minnesota State Innovation

Model grant that the Otter Tail Public Health was awarded as an Accountable Community

for Health.

The forum is being sponsored by Otter Tail County Public Health in partnership with Lake

Region Healthcare, Lakeland Mental Health Center, and PartnerSHIP 4 Health during

National Public Health Week.

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You are invited to a Public Forum

“Are We Sometimes Overdosing on Health Care?”

Otter Tail Government Services Center

Fergus Falls, MN 56537

April 7, 2015

5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

560 Fir Ave West

Join in a community conversation about today’s cultural belief that

more health care is better health care.

 Until recently, most people were concerned about getting

too little health care and it is still the concern of many.

 But a new problem has crept upon us in recent decades:

too much health care. Too many tests, procedures, and

services that don’t help and can harm. We’ll examine the

question “Are we overdosing on health care?”

 Overuse and overspending in health care can affect our

personal well-being and the larger economy. They deprive

our country of resources for other priorities like education,

research, community safety, and human services.

 Your input is invaluable as we look to design a sustainable

rural health model that meets the needs of its citizenry

while being economically viable.

Sponsored by Otter Tail County Public Health in partnership with

Lake Region Healthcare, Lakeland Mental Health Center and

This forum is paid for in part by funding received from the

Minnesota Department of Health State Innovation Model

PartnerSHIP 4 Health

Accountable Communities for Health Grant.