Event to address how Affordable Care Act will affect Arizonans

As part of the Affordable Care Act, starting next week, millions of Americans will begin enrolling in health insurance coverage for the first time through Health Insurance Marketplaces, with health care coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2014.

Together with the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN), Phoenix Chapter, the College of Nursing & Health Innovation at Arizona State University is hosting an event to address the Affordable Care Act and how it will impact Arizonans.

Assistant Surgeon General Nadine Simons, Regional Health Administrator for HHS Region IX and Rear Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, will be speaking at the event. Simons will discuss how the Affordable Care Act is helping transform the health care system into a health system focused on helping individuals and communities attain optimal health, improving the quality of health care and eliminating health disparities.

“This is truly a historic time to be working in health care," Simons said. "The Affordable Care Act is transforming our health care system away from a focus on sickness and disease to a focus on prevention and wellness.

"We have an incredible and unprecedented opportunity to apply what we know about culturally and linguistically appropriate services, health literacy and patient education principles so that the millions of Americans who will become consumers of health care for the first time will be able to obtain, process and understand health information and make appropriate, well-informed health decisions.”

The discussion event is set to take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Sept. 26, in Auditorium Room 110 (building 2) of the ASU College of Nursing & Health Innovation on the Downtown Phoenix campus, located at 500 N. 3rd Street. The conference is open to all nurses, students and health professionals.

Please RSVP to Adriana Perez at G.Adriana.Perez@asu.edu.

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