December 14, 2020 | Healthcare Post-Election: A Conversation with Senator Ron Wyden

Join us for a conversation with Oregon’s most powerful lawmaker,  Sen. Ron Wyden,  as he shares his views on health care policy in the post-election period and beyond. Learn how the federal government will change with new leadership, and hear about topics ranging from COVID-19 response to Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.

Moderator:

Kelley Kaiser

Kaiser serves as the senior vice president chief administrative officer for Samaritan Health Services. In this position, she focuses on aligning the various aspects of the system to ensure they are working together to meet the needs of the communities it serves. She does this through oversight of various corporate areas including, Foundations, Government Affairs, Wellness, Planning and Strategy. Kaiser joined Samaritan Health Services in 1995 focusing on Provider Relations for InterCommunity Health Network. In 1999 and was named CEO of InterCommunity Health Network and in 2005 was named CEO of Samaritan Health Plans.  In addition, she has had executive responsibility for various Samaritan physician groups over the years. Kaiser is the past chair of the Corvallis Chamber of Commerce and currently serves on the Chamber’s Business Advocacy Committee. She is a past board member of the Rotary Club of Corvallis and serves on the Oregon State Credit Union Board of Directors. She is also a member of the Oregon Health Leadership Council in addition to serving as a member of the OSU College of Public Health and Human Sciences Community Advisory Council. Kaiser was named Junior First Citizen in 2008 for her contributions to the community. She earned a bachelor’s degree in health care administration and master’s degree in health policy and management from Oregon State University.

Panelist:

Senator Ron Wyden

Oregonians know Ron as a senator who listens and innovates. For example, Ron has secured landmark health care and economic wins for Oregon workers and retirees. In advocating for the needs of working families, Ron wants a tax code that gives small businesses and families an opportunity to get ahead, not one that rigs the rules for multinational corporations or the mega-rich. He led a pioneering expansion of unemployment benefits to help workers shoulder the economic burden of the COVID-19 health crisis, which economists say added more than $200 billion to the economy at a time when it was desperately needed. He updated the “Medicare Guarantee” with improved services for seniors with chronic illnesses, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, he secured Medicare coverage for telemedicine so homebound seniors could safely access medical care. Ron advanced the Family First Act to improve care for vulnerable families and kids and was the first to promote internet policies that ensure free opportunities for Americans to learn and find good-paying jobs. Wyden has fought to expand rural access to health care. Wyden secured the creation of a Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in La Grande for veterans in Eastern Oregon. Sen. Wyden served as the director of Oregon Legal Services for the Elderly from 1977 to 1979 and was a member of the Oregon State Board of Examiners of Nursing Home Administrators during that same period. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 until his election to the U.S. Senate.

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To share your ideas or if you are interested in sponsoring this event, please contact Robin Moody at robin@oregonhealthforum.org.