At the foot of the state Capitol steps, Mason resident Gary Donn listened as speakers declared the inequality of health care during a rally Tuesday afternoon.
"The interest of health care brought me here," Donn said. "We've got a trend where more and more people don't have health care, and those who do have to pay higher and higher prices on that health care."
"Eliminating Health Care Disparities: A Prescription for the 21st Century" was held not only to raise awareness about the uninsured and underinsured, but to provide information to the public, said Kami King, an event organizer and a first-year human medicine student. This is the third year students from MSU's College of Human Medicine's chapter of the American Medical Student Association have rallied about this issue.
There are 44 million Americans living without insurance, said Veena Rao, also a first-year human medicine student and an event organizer.
Tables of free food donated by local businesses and information from health organizations lined the Capitol lawn in an effort to catch the attention of people walking by.
In an action to support concerns raised at the rally, Michigan Legal Services, 220 Bagley St. in Detroit, filed a lawsuit against the state of Michigan on Tuesday, Rao said. The suit claims that the state has not been upholding an amendment in its Constitution that calls for access to health care as every Michigan resident's right.
The group met with legislators with hopes of gaining signatures in support of a resolution that echoes concerns listed in the lawsuit, Rao sad.
"The biggest problem right now is that people are not acknowledging this is a problem," she said. "It is being talked about, but nothing is being done."
In a transportable medical trailer provided by MSU's College of Human Medicine, second-year human medicine students offered free blood-pressure readings and information under the guidance of physicians.
"People seemed very interested," said Suzanne Sorkin, a physician from Sparrow Health System who was assisting the students in the trailer. "I'm aware of a few cases of elevated blood pressure students found."
The side of the College of Human Medicine's trailer was emblazoned with the line, "Medicine on the Move."
The statement on the trailer demonstrates the college's continuing commitment to the community, second-year human medicine student Jeff Kullgren said.
In January, a possible move of the College of Human Medicine in cooperation with the Grand Rapids-based Spectrum Health Center became public. MSU's Board of Trustees will make its final decision in May about the future of the medical school.
"Regardless of what happens with the College of Human Medicine, it will always be serving communities throughout the state," Kullgren said.
"That will never change."
It was good for local residents to see the college has having a focus other than its possible move to Grand Rapids, Rao said.
"That's not what we're about," she said. "This is what we care about - our education."
But Donn said he believes the college's possible move to the western side of the state has everything to do with the priority the Legislature is placing on health care.
"That's another example of how the state and tax dollars are inadequately funding health care," Donn said. "This all kind of ties together."
Tina Reed can be reached at reedtina@msu.edu.
