Conversations in Science
for K-12 Educators

A program conceived and organized by the Wisconsin Initiative for Science Literacy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with the collaboration of the Madison Metropolitan School District and the Edgewood Sonderegger Science Center.


Thursday, April 12, 2007 at 4:00 p.m.

Transforming Healthcare: Visions for the Future

Dr. Susan L. Goelzer

About the conversation:

The problems of medical care confront us almost everyday. The United States leads the world in medical research and specialty healthcare, but in many ways our system is at a breaking point.  This presentation will examine just how costly, complex, confusing, and often times outdated the U.S. health system really is -- and why it is simply not up to the challenge of the 21 st century.  We will also examine ideas for reforming and improving the system.  Many of the reform efforts of the past decade have emphasized government playing a larger role as it does in other countries, yet these have proven untenable in a political system in which powerful interests favor of the status quo. 

Instead we will identify the tremendous opportunities to move from an acute care delivery system that is designed to treat disease to a prospective health system designed to promote health and well-being.  Transforming America's heath care delivery system is one of the biggest challenges facing our nation.   Together we will begin to imagine how we, as educators, providers, and patients, might all be participants in a successful transformation.

About the speaker:

Susan L. Goelzer, M.D., M.S., C.P.E. is a Professor of Anesthesiology, Internal Medicine and Population Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health where she has been a faculty member since 1985.  She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in engineering at Northwestern University, a Masters in Administrative Medicine and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Wisconsin.  Dr. Goelzer completed her anesthesiology residency at the University of Wisconsin and received her fellowship training in critical care medicine.  As a board certified anesthesiologist, intensivist, and physician executive she has provided many years of clinical care, research, teaching and service as well as a decade of leadership as the Ralph M. Waters Distinguished Chair of Anesthesiology.  Your browser may not support display of this image. Dr. Goelzer's administrative and leadership expertise was most recently recognized with her appointment as UWHC Vice President of Perioperative Services. 

As a 2002-2003 Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow, Dr. Goelzer served in the Office of the Senate Majority Leader, William H. Frist, M.D.  Her legislative responsibilities during this period included biodefense, patient safety, minority health disparities, national healthcare information infrastructure, medical liability reform, global AIDS, vaccination policy and Medicare reform legislation. 

Upon Dr. Goelzer's return to the University of Wisconsin, the Board of Regents appointed her to the Wisconsin United for Health Foundation Oversight and Advisory Committee that oversees the programs designed to improve the health of Wisconsin citizens.  She also serves as Chair of the University of Wisconsin Medical Foundation Finance Committee and as a member on the Executive Committee of the Wisconsin Public Health and Health Policy Institute and the UW SOMPH Medical Education and Research Committee. Dr. Goelzer is active in national specialty societies having served as a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Committees on Economics, Physician Resources, Governmental Affairs, and on the ASA Reference Committee on Payment Methodology and the Executive Council of the Society of Academic Anesthesiology Chairs (SAAC).  In 2006 Dr. Goelzer completed American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) Council of Deans Leadership Fellowship.

References

Chernew ME, Hirth RA, and Cutler DM. Increased Spending On Health Care: How Much Can The United States Afford? Health Affairs, July/August 2003; 22(4): 15-25.

Gingich N.  Saving Money Saving Lives .  Center for Healthcare Transformation. 2004

Johnson HB, Broder DS.  The System:  The American Way of Politics at the Breaking Point , RBI, Inc.  1996.

Porter ME, Teasdale EO.  Redefining Health Care: Creating Value Based Competition on Results .  Harvard Business School Press. 2006.

White, Chapin.  Health Care Spending Growth: How Different Is The United States From The Rest Of The OECD?   Health Affairs, January/February 2007; 26(1): 154-161.