Lowell Lectures Tackle Healthcare Issues

Maintaining good health involves making informed and healthy choices in our lifestyles and medical care. To raise awareness about current healthcare issues, Simmons's Society and Health Program in the sociology department, in collaboration with several other College departments, is presenting the Lowell Lecture Series, "Gender, Health, and Behavior: The Interplay of Risk, Choice, and Social Policy."

The first Lowell Lecture took place Oct. 9, as Dr. Helen Burstin, director for primary care research at the Federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, spoke on "Competent and Compassionate Care for All: Reducing Disparities and Improving Access." She discussed the larger political context and factors that shape who gets what quality of medical care, including the racial, gender, and ethnic differences in health status from the national to the individual level.

Continuing the series on Oct. 17, Dr. David M. Eisenberg discussed "Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies: Current Status and Future Trends." The director of the Center for Alternative Medicine Research and Education at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Eisenberg demonstrated the need for alternative, complementary, and integrative medical therapies in our current medical system. He discussed the rise of alternative and integrative therapies, and said that as many as one in 10 adults actively incorporate integrative medical therapies such as chiropractic treatment, relaxation techniques, herbal supplements, and massage therapy into their lives.

The Lowell Lecture Series will continue Nov. 13 with "Controversies in Women's Health: Assessing Risk and Making Choices," presented by Dr. Ann B. Flood, professor of community and family medicine at Dartmouth Medical School. For more information, contact Patricia Rieker at 617-521-2393.

 

 

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