NCCC President and CEO Is Panelist on PBS Fred Friendly Seminar,Who Cares: Chronic Illness in America,

To be aired October, November

The PBS Fred Friendly Seminar, Who Cares: Chronic Illness in America. grapples with our nation's most critical healthcare challenge and considers the difficult choices that millions of people face every day as they struggle with chronic illness and a healthcare system not designed to meet their needs. Airdates have been announced in several cities beginning in October and continuing into November. For a listing of airdates by state, visit Airdates.

WHO CARES: Chronic Illness in America brings together a diverse panel of doctors, patients, caregivers, and other experts, including NCCC President and CEO, Richard Bringewatt, who get to the core of the complex factors that have thrown the American healthcare system into crisis and complicated the lives of families dealing with chronic illness. John Hockenberry, correspondent for Dateline NBC, moderates the one-hour program. The program is the catalyst for a national educational campaign designed to raise awareness and focus attention on the growing crisis of chronic illness. For more information on the program and this campaign, including free printed educational tools, visit Educational Tools.

Planning is underway in Chicago, Pittsburgh, Portland, and Tampa for intensive "Community Day" events to engage businesses, healthcare providers and institutions, and civic organizations and to focus the attention of opinion leaders, policy-makers, and the media on the challenges posed by chronic illness. Local community activities will include roundtable discussions, forums, town meetings, workshops about chronic care in the workplace, and caregiver networking events. The schedule of community days and airdates is as follows:

TAMPA
Airdate - Thursday, October 25 at 10:00 p.m.
Community day - Thursday, October 18

CHICAGO
Airdate - Tuesday, October 30 at 9:00 p.m.
Community day - Thursday, October 25

PORTLAND
Airdate - Sunday, November 11 at 10:00 p.m.
Community day - Wednesday, November 7

PITTSBURGH
Airdate - Friday, November 16 at 10:00 p.m. and Sunday, November 18 at 3:00 p.m.
Community day - Tuesday, November 13

In addition to the National Chronic Care Consortium, many other national organizations have pledged their participation in this campaign. Among those who have become partners are the American Diabetes Association, American Geriatrics Society, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, Faith in Action, Family Caregiver Alliance/National Center on Caregiving, Family Voices, Foundation for Health and Aging, Fresh Angles, Howard University School of Medicine, National Family Caregivers Association, National Health Council, National PACE Association, Partnership for Solutions, Rosalynn Carter Institute for Human Development, We Media, Inc., U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

For more information on the NCCC's involvement in this program, contact Mary Goehle.