Forum to address health-care needs

Audience members will be able to ask questions at the local event.

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, and five health-care industry experts will participate in a live, local 90-minute forum on health care tonight.

The program, organized by The Vindicator and WFMJ Channel 21, will air from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on WFMJ.

Two of the experts participating in the show are Walter “Buzz” Pishkur, president and chief executive of Forum Health, and Bob Shroder, chief executive of Humility of Mary Health Partners.

Both have said health-care reform needs to include some way to pay for the millions of dollars in charitable health care they and other hospitals are now providing to the uninsured.

Public attendance and participation in the forum will be limited to 100 people.

Those interested in participating had an opportunity to apply for a seat through a form found on Vindy.com that asked their thoughts on health care and if they have personal health problems.

The newspaper and WFMJ selected 50 people to attend, and those 50 are allowed to bring a guest to the program, at the Jewish Community Center, 505 Gypsy Lane.

Selecting and limiting the number of public participants in the program will allow time for a productive discussion of the issue, according to the newspaper and WFMJ.

Those selected to be in the audience will have an opportunity to ask Ryan specific questions related to health care.

Ryan said he has spoken about the issue with hundreds of constituents at various public events and thousands more through telephone town-hall meetings dealing with health-care reform.

He said he was pleased to accept the invitation to participate in tonight’s live, televised town-hall session.

It’s another opportunity to talk about the reduction of health-care costs that will help businesses compete for the next generation of jobs that will transform the local economy, Ryan said.

The health-care reform debate has been sweeping the country for months, with Congress and the Obama administration working on ways to overhaul of the system.

Ryan supports America’s Affordable Health Choices Act that calls for reform. The bill has passed through the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

The president is pushing Congress to enact a health-care bill before the end of the year.