Health Care Symposium

On Saturday afternoon, April 13th at 1:30pm the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation will host a symposium called Navigating Health Care on Cape Ann. The event is an interactive way for everyone in our community to learn more about how to access services in a variety of situations.

We all have friends or family members who are struggling with health problems, health care insurance, or getting medical appointments.  Knowing whom to call and understanding the available resources in our community can resolve many of these issues or prevent serious illness. A school age child with acute anxiety, an older friend living alone who suddenly feels tired and run-down, a friend who might have an addiction problem, a recent arrival who needs to change their insurance plan and find a primary care doctor—these are just some of the situations that will be addressed in the April 13 symposium. Hearing news stories about hospital closures, crowded emergency rooms and nursing shortages can also cause worry or confusion.  The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation has invited representatives of the organizations providing health care to our community to make presentations and answer your questions.

Our speakers will include Paul Lundberg (Trustee, AGH/Beverly Hospitals), Dominique Hurley (Gloucester’s Director of Public Health), Margaret Brennan, MPH (President and CEO of North Shore Community Health – Gloucester Family Health Center), and Kimberly Perryman, MMHC, RN, NEA-BC (Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Beverly Hospital), followed by an audience Q&A session.

After a break for refreshments, the second half of the program will offer a panel discussion with real-world scenarios of health and medical care challenges that people often experience in our communities. The panel will be moderated by Dick Prouty, and will include Vivian Argento, MD (Geriatric Medicine), Jason Andree, PharmD (Vice President of Addison Gilbert Hospital), John Morris (President of Beauport Ambulance), Brian Orr, MD (Brian Orr Pediatrics), Amy Kamm, MSW (Director of Mental Health & Social-Emotional Learning in the Gloucester Public Schools) and Stacy Reilly, RN (Nurse Manager at Senior Care, Inc.).  This will be followed by an audience Q&A session facilitated by Karen Bell and Heather Atwood.