Upcoming healthcare forum likely last in series

As the financial crisis dominates the political arena, politicians and policy makers may soon lose a forum to discuss solutions to a growing nationwide problem: the broken healthcare system.

This Friday, Hopkins President William Brody will discuss healthcare issues with Speaker of the House and Hopkins 2009 Commencement speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in a forum airing on Maryland Public Television.

But Michael Field, an assistant to Brody who has helped coordinate the forums and write Brody's speeches on healthcare, said this is "likely to be the last" edition of the forums because of the president's approaching retirement.

"For the time being, healthcare is off everyone's radar," Field said. "We are subject to the news cycle. It's hard to get coverage when there is the very real possibility of a financial collapse weighing on people's minds."

Just more than a year ago, Brody announced at the National Press Club his plans to create a series of forums devoted to talking about what he described as "America's healthcare crisis."

The forums, entitled "Healthcare '08: Search for Solutions," were cosponsored by the National Coalition on Health Care and produced for the Retirement Living Television network. Since August the forums have begun airing on Maryland Public Television.

At the start, coordinators were optimistic that they would attract high-caliber participants to the forums. But only presidential candidates to appear on the program were former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.) and former Senator Mike Gravel (D-AK).

Field was "disappointed" with the forum's inability to attract presidential nominees.

"The candidates proved more difficult to get a hold of than we thought," he said.

Both Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) failed to follow through on their commitment to the forums.

"Hillary Clinton said she would do it repeatedly, but I'm sure she never anticipated being in the political fight for her life ... She said she would do it at a point when it seemed she would sail fairly easily into the nomination. As we know, that did not happen," Field said.

As for Schwarzenegger, "the governor was very interested in talking when it seemed like California was going to pass comprehensive healthcare."

After that initiative fell through, Field said the governor was "suddenly less interested."

Despite these problems, the forums have garnered respect. The series was nominated for a CableFAX Program Award in the Best Public Affairs category. Winners will be announced on Oct. 29.

"We're all pleased he has managed to advance national conversation. That's our best hope to get people talking," Field said.

"Were the opportunity to do more and talk to key people to arise, I think he would," Field said, when asked if Brody would continue with the forums after his retirement from the Hopkins's presidency.

Brody could not be reached for comment before press time.

The agreement with Retirement Living Television does not require Brody to produce a certain number of episodes. "We always had understanding we would make as many as we could and were worthwhile," Field said.

The forum between Brody and Pelosi was filmed on July 18 in her capital office building, a marked difference from the previous studio tapings that included moderators.

In the past, a moderator has facilitated the conversation between Brody and his guest. According to Field, the absence of a moderator during the discussion with Pelosi was due to the Speaker's hectic schedule.

A representative from Pelosi's office did not return calls for comment before press time.

Field found that not having a moderator "changes the nature of the conversation. Dr. Brody sort of had to play both roles," he said. "It was a profoundly different sort of atmosphere."

Past moderators have included journalists Judy Woodruff, Lea Thompson, Diane Rehm and Felicia Taylor.

"They're showing that the hour before the debates on Friday, so there may be a certain civic-minded public out there," Field said.

Maryland Public Television has previously aired two episodes of the series.