Press pool report by Al Cross, Kentucky Health News
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales arrived at the foot of the Big Four Bridge, an old railroad bridge recently converted into a pedestrian bridge, at 3:07 p.m. He was accompanied by Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and was greeted by U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Louisville. They ascended a stairway leading to the pedestrian ramp and had a discussion on the ramp. Your pool could hear only snatches of conversation, but it was clear that Fischer and Yarmuth were describing the bridge project, which links Louisville to Jeffersonville, Ind.
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| Dr. Elliott Antman, in sunglasses, speaks as Prince Charles and other participants listen |
The group descended the ramp and entered a plastic-and-canvas tent, joining a health-and-environment roundtable that had been in progress for about an hour. The pool was present for introductory remarks by the mayor and by Dr. Elliott Antman, president of the American Heart Association, but there was no amplification and the pool was kept at such a distance that he could not be heard clearly, and we were shuffled out after just a few minutes. Through the opening and the clear plastic we could see that HRH was animatedly engaged in conversation with the participants.
Yarmuth said afterward that the conversation was “about how the health care system by itself, the medical system, is not the thing we should be concerned about in trying to be concerned about the general health and well-being of society,” but rather how to prevent people from entering that system, “and there are so many entities that have role” in doing that.
Gordon Garner, former director of the Metropolitan Sewer District and president of the Kentucky Waterways Alliance, said the broad message of the meeting was “the linkage to both the built and natural environment” when it comes to health. “The big message would be … the overwhelming need we have as a society to raise our level of stewardship .. that public awareness is way, way behind what the needs are. We’ve got to develop some kind of stewardship commitment that we currently don’t have.”
According to an email from Chuck Lambert of Humana Inc. to the participants, a copy of which your pool reporter obtained, following are the invited participants. It could not be confirmed whether all on the list were actually at the roundtable.
INVITEES to roundtable (other than Antman, mentioned above):
Dr. Aruni Bhatnagar, Ph.D., Institute of Molecular Cardiology, University of Louisville
Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, 43rdU.S. Army Surgeon General
Meredith Barrett, vice president of science and research, Propeller Health
Dr. Alonzo Plough, vice president of research, evaluation and learning and chief science officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Dr. Sharmila Makhija, chair of ob/gyn and women’s health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, The Bronx, N.Y. (formerly at U of L)
Tom FitzGerald, director, Kentucky Resources Council (Kentucky’s leading environmental lobbyist)
Dr. Ted Smith, executive director, Institute for Healthy Air, Water and Soil; and chief of civic innovation, Metro Louisville government
Peter Crane, dean, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
Mary Gwen wheeler, executive director, 55,000 Degrees (program aimed at expanding number of college graduates in Louisville)
Dr. James Sublett, president, American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
Hugh Archer, executive director, Kentucky Natural Lands Trust
Barry Barker, executive director, Transit Authority of River City
Margaret “Peggy” Plympton, deputy chairman, National Endowment for the Humanities
Dr. Mahendra Sunkara, director, Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research, U of L
Burt Lauderdale, executive director, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth (environmental and social justice group)
Timothy (Tim) State, enterprise vice president, associate health and well-being, Humana Inc.
Barry Gottschalk, president and CEO, American Lung Association of the Midland States
David Tandy, president. Louisville Metro Council
Craig Anthony Arnold, chair, Center for Land Use and Environmental Responsibility, U of L
Dr Cary Sennett, president and CEO, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
OBSERVERS:
Charles “Chuck” Lambert, Humana VP and chair, Louisville Sustainability Council
David VanSIckle, cofounder and CEO, Propeller Health
Paul Tarini, senior program officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Ben Reno-Weber, director, Greater Louisvile Project
Tad Waddington, CEO, lasting Contribution Inc.
Gordon Garner, president, Kentucky Waterways Alliance
Andrew Smith, student
Stephanie Sido, aide-de-camp, Gen. Horoho
Robert Connolly, chair, Stites & Harbison law firm
Wes Jackson, president, The Land Institute
Deena Adams, development manager, American Lung Association in Kentucky
Dr. Rose Marie Robertson, chief science officer, American Heart Association
Dr. John Johnston, co-director, Norton Hospital Leatherman Spine Center