Does health get better when the economy gets worse? - Dec. 8, 2009

Tuesday, Dec. 8, Noon-1 p.m. ISER Conference Room, Fifth Floor, Diplomacy Building (4500 Diplomacy Dr.)

Does health actually get better when the economy gets worse? And if so, why -- and how is the improvement measured? Some studies in rich countries have found that people's health improves more when the economy is contracting than when it's growing. Dr. Stephen Bezruchka, from the School of Public Health at the University of Washington, will talk about those studies and discuss why he believes the health benefits of economic growth are limited once a society crosses a threshold of perhaps $10,000 per person in gross national product.

Dr. Bezruchka is a graduate of Harvard, Johns Hopkins and Stanford universities. He teaches courses in population health in the Department of Global Health in the School of Public Health at the University of Washington, where he also directs the Population Health Forum. He received the 2002 Outstanding Teacher Award and the 2008 Faculty Community Service Award in the School of Public Health. He also practiced as an emergency physician for 30 years. Join us at ISER to hear him talk about the health effects of economic recessions.

If you need directions or have further questions, call (907) 786-7710.