External Affairs exists to serve the community in enhancing the health of Kansans, to improve current systems and build relationships for the future. As a team, External Affairs strives for excellence in an environment that is continually changing to meet the needs of those around it. External Affairs seeks to share the visions of those involved in serving the community, to improve the way of life for those it serves, and support the efforts of health care in the face of challenges.

On March 6, 2008, The Department of Health Policy and Management brought Bo Jordin, MD, former Director of Primary Care for the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare to The University of Kansas Medical Center to discuss "Primary Care in Sweden: Quality, Choice and Efficiency".

Dr. Jordin received his M.D. from the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, in 1978, followed by specialization in Family Medicine (1985) and a Masters of Public Administration, Stockholm University (1995). His work at the National Board focused on supervising and monitoring Swedish health care and promoting health information systems. Recently, he has worked with the European Health Telematics Association and authored a 2005 WHO report, Towards interoperable e-Health in Europe: Telemedicine Alliance Strategy. Dr. Jordin currently works for Swedens largest provider of occupational medicine services where he is involved as a clinician and also with quality assurance.

His relationship with KU started in the late 1990s with annual introductions of the Swedish health care system to KUMC and KU Lawrence students coming to Europe to study health care and social welfare systems.

To view Dr. Jordin's taped presentation, click here.

Health reform will be among the premiere issues of the 2008 legislative session in Kansas. The Kansas Health Policy Authority, under the leadership of its Executive Director, Marcia Nielsen, PhD, MPH, has proposed a reform initiative which will serve as a focal point for policy makers. To better understand the scope of this reform, KU Medical Center hosted a forum on Dec. 17, 2007, to provide insights and information to prepare faculty, staff and community members to be active advocates for improved health policy. The forum featured a keynote address by Dr. Nielsen and a panel of experts who responded to the KHPA proposal, featuring Gary Doolittle, MD, professor of Hematology/Oncology, Michael Bleich, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor and chair of Health Policy and Management, Blair Thedinger, a fourth-year medical student, and Terry Lee Mills, MD, department head for family medicine at the Wichita Clinic.

Watch the entire discussion here.