Formed in New York City in 1967 as an outgrowth of Students for a Democratic Society, the Health Policy Action Center, or Health/PAC, developed a comprehensive political economic analysis of the city’s–and then the nation’s–healthcare system. The organization published a regular newsletter in which the group coined terms like the “medical industrial complex” and “American health empire” that have had lasting power in accounting for hospitals, pharmaceutical and insurance companies, and other organizations seeking profit from care.
In this event, Professor Merlin Chowkwanyun will discuss how a group of researchers developed and circulated the Health/PAC Bulletin, outline the shape of Health/PAC’s analysis of the American health empire, and consider the role of worker-informed political economic research in healthcare in the present. Professor Chowkwanyun has been pivotal for digitizing the Health/PAC Bulletin and chronicling the organization’s history in several articles and in their book, All Health Politics is Local (UNC, 2022).
Merlin Chowkwanyun is the Donald Gemson Associate Professor of Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. They are the author of All Health Politics is Local: Community Battles for Medical Care and Environmental Health (2022) from UNC Press and the forthcoming Who Dies? Coming out in 2027 from W.W. Norton. They operate toxicdocs.org, the world’s largest repository of once-secret documents about toxic substances.
This event is free and open to the public and our greater Tri-Co community.
Access details can be found here [AccessAble website linked here]
Critical Health Colloquium Reading Group on Merlin Chowkwanyun’s All Health Politics Is Local
October 29, 12pm, TLC Conference Room, McCabe Library
Join us to discuss a short selection from Merlin Chowkwanyun’s book, All Health Politics is Local, (The University of North Carolina Press, 2022). All Health Politics is Local argues that health dilemmas in the US are shaped by local social topography, including political machines, neighborhood organizations, racial politics, urban development, anchor institutions, and political-economic shifts. RSVP is required, space is limited. The first 10 respondents to this form will also receive a copy of All Health Politics is Local, (pick-up details forthcoming – please expect to receive an email).
Open to faculty and staff from Swarthmore and our greater Tri-Co community.
Space is limited, please RSVP by 10/21 [RSVP form linked here].
Snacks and beverages will be served!
Access details can be found here [AccessAble website linked here]
