Chapter Point Person: Tom Reed

Meetings: First Friday of every month at 7AM at the Sin of Cortes Restuarant, 2290 Esplanade in Chico

Holiday Party: Thursday, December 1st at the home of Dr. Aldebra Schroll: 208 Mission Serra Terrace in Chico. RSVP here.

Newsletter: Chapter Spotlight – October

CHICO PNHP MEMBERS SPEAK OUT FOR SINGLE PAYER AT TWO EVENTS
By Tom Reed

Members of the Chico Chapter of PNHP California participated in a Forum on Health Care Reform sponsored by the Paradise Center for Tolerance and Non-Violence on August 31st in Paradise, California.

The event, attended by fifty enthusiastic community members, was moderated by Tom Reed, a Chico PNHP member. PNHP member Dr. Ken Logan joined other panelists, David Welch of the California Nurses Association and Forest Harlan, President of the Butte County Health Care Coalition, in a spirited discussion of the inadequacies of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and the single payer alternative as expressed in SB810 and HR 676.

Attendees were generally supportive of the speakers’ pro single payer position. PNHP literature was distributed and a number of individuals expressed interest in being contacted regarding future single payer activities.

During a second event on September 15th, Ken Logan, MD, Paul-O’Rourke Babb, FNP, and Tom Reed, MA, MPA, addressed an audience of over fifty persons at a Health Care Reform panel discussion in Quincy, California, sponsored by the Plumas County Democratic Club. Attendees included County Supervisor Lorie Simpson, and Robert Turcotte, head of the local American Legion, both of whom expressed support for the speakers’ pro single-payer position.

As a result of this discussion, a number of attendees said they would provide PNHP literature to their own physicians. Five attendees expressed interest in organizing a Plumas County single-payer organization and received assurances from Logan, O’Rourke-Babb and Reed that PNHP members and other single payer activists in Chico would provide them any necessary support and assistance. They have maintained contact with the activists in Quincy and are advised that the Plumas County Democratic Club will discuss possible formation of such an organization at the next meeting.

Newsletter: Chapter Spotlight – April
By Tom Reed

The Chico Chapter of PNHP California initiated, organized and co-sponsored a highly successful Health Care Reform Forum on March 9th.

The Forum, which was attended by over 300 people was co-sponsored by Chicos’ Enloe Hospital, which hosted the event at its Conference Center, and the Butte-Glenn Medical Society. Forum participants included Hank Abrons, MD, MPH, President of PNHP California, local physicians Jeffrey Lobosky, MD, and Richard Thorpe, MD, along with Mike Wiltermood, CEO of Enloe Hospital. The Forum was moderated by local oncologist and PNHP member David Potter, MD.

The Forum was broadcast live on radio KPAY AM. Dr. Abrons was interviewed live on KZFR FM, prior to the event, which also received extensive coverage in the local print media.

This was the first public action of the Chico Chapter of PNHP California. Every member of the Chapter participated in its’ organizing and made substantial contributions to the success of the event, which has established the PNHP Chico chapter locally as a significant player in the single-payer movement.

Read a news article about the event here.