A noted English physician who compiled the history of Britain’s National Health Service will give The University of Southern Mississippi College of Health’s David J. Fine Distinguished Lecture next week.

“Health Care: Human Right or High Priced Commodity?” will be presented by Dr. Geoffrey Rivett of London Tuesday, April 14 from 4-5:30 p.m. in the university’s Thad Cochran Center. Rivett is also scheduled to give guest lectures to Southern Miss students during his stay in Hattiesburg.

Rivett’s “From Cradle to Grave: Fifty years of the NHS” was published in 1998 and chronicles clinical developments in the major specialties in Britain since 1948; the concurrent changes in primary health care and the hospital service; and the political and financial background of the NHS. It includes a forward written by former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

"Dr. Rivett brings an international comparative perspective to the exceptionally timely topic of health care,” said Dr. Michael Forster, dean of the Southern Miss College of Health. “He perfectly suits the Fine lecture series' purpose of cutting across disciplinary boundaries."

Rivett served in his country’s Department of National Health beginning in 1972 and was involved in policy formation and implementation, including the introduction of computers into medicine from 1972-1976; the planning and management of health services in London and the southeast from 1976-1985; and the refashioning of the contractual and quality framework of general practice and primary health care at the time of the NHS reforms from 1985-1992. 

During the 1980s and 1990s he travelled frequently to the United States to learn about health care system practices that could be applied in Britain.

The lecture series is named for David J. Fine, president and chief executive officer of St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System in Houston, home of the famed Texas Heart Institute and Episcopal Health Charities of the Diocese of Texas.
 
Fine has 30 years of experience as a healthcare executive, including 20 years as a CEO of university hospitals, multi-hospital systems, medical groups and managed care organizations. He is an active member of the Southern Miss College of Health’s Dean’s Council, which includes individuals who are advocates for the college and serve as advisers to the dean, students, faculty and staff.

For more information about this event, contact the Southern Miss College of Health at 601.266.5253.

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About The University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi, founded in 1910, is a comprehensive doctoral and research-extensive university fulfilling its mission of being a leading university in engaging and empowering individuals to transform lives and communities.  In a tradition of leadership for student development, Southern Miss is educating a 21st century work force providing intellectual capital, cultural enrichment and innovation to Mississippi and the world.  Southern Miss is located in Hattiesburg, Miss., with an additional campus and teaching and research sites on the Mississippi Gulf Coast; further information is found at www.usm.edu.