"The Role of Health Professionals in the Context of Healthcare Reform" is the topic for the 2009 Martin Barr Lecture, Sept. 24. Guest speaker is Herbert C. Smitherman, Jr., MD, MPH, assistant dean of Community and Urban Health, School of Medicine, Wayne State University (WSU).

The program will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the WSU Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. A reception will follow the lecture.

There is no charge for the lecture. There is a charge for the reception, which is $15 for WSU alumni, $18 for guests, and $7 for students. For additional information, call 313-577-0300 or click here to RSVP.

The College is located at 259 Mack Ave at John R in Detroit. Parking is available in the WSU Parking Deck on John R, across from the College.

In addition to serving as an assistant dean, Dr. Smitherman is an assistant professor of Internal Medicine and the Karmanos Cancer Institute. He also is president and CEO of Health Centers Detroit Foundation, a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike in the city of Detroit. Dr. Smitherman's research and expertise focus primarily on creating sustainable systems of care for urban communities, for which he has received more than $10 million in grant funding to study. Dr. Smitherman has spent the past 21 years working with diverse communities in Detroit to develop urban-based, primary-care delivery systems that integrate the health, social goals and concerns of the community. Dr. Smitherman is the co-author of "Taking Care of the Uninsured: A Path to Reform," which was releasedrecently.

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The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, a founding college of Wayne State University, is committed to advancing the health and well-being of society through the preparation of highly skilled health care practitioners, and through research to improve health care practices and treatment from the urban to global levels.

Wayne State University is a world class institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 31,000 students in metropolitan Detroit.

Media Contact: Kathleen J. Karas, APR
Voice: (313) 577-2312
E-mail: kkaras@wayne.edu