Symposium to examine health providers’ role in better assessing those at risk
Expert Panel to Discuss Suicide Crisis
<0> WordWrite CommunicationsJason Snyder, 412-292-2653 </0>
Suicides are expected to reach an all-time high of 40,000 in the United States this year. Yet research indicates that nearly half of suicide victims had contact with a healthcare provider within 30 days prior to their suicide.
As healthcare reform grants access to healthcare to millions more, there will be greater demands for efficiency, efficacy and cost control. On Thursday, June 20, an expert panel will discuss the challenges healthcare providers face, as well as the opportunities they have, to more effectively identify patients at-risk for suicide, prevent suicide and better serve their patients and their community. The event, “Examining A Crisis: A Suicide Symposium,” will be held at the National Press Club in Washington, DC and will be broadcast simultaneously via webcast at
The panel of healthcare experts will be joined by actress, filmmaker and suicide prevention activist Mariel Hemingway. There have been seven suicides in her immediate family, including Mariel’s grandfather, novelist Ernest, and her sister, model and actress Margaux. Mariel documented their struggles with mental illness, as well as her own, in her new movie “Running from Crazy.” Hemingway will discuss her experiences and why she believes assessing risk can ultimately save lives.
— actress, filmmaker, activist— Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute— Heritage Valley Health System— President & CEO, ERT
Examining A Crisis: A Suicide Symposium (Discussion followed by Q & A) 9:30 – 10:30 a.m., Thursday, June 20, 2013: The National Press Club (First Amendment Lounge), 529 14 Street NW, Washington, D.C.