SHOUTAmerica
Encyclopedia
ShoutAmerica is a non-profit organization headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee
that seeks to protect the long-term interest of the nation through the achievement of sustainable healthcare reform.
. McWhorter’s longtime role as a leader in the healthcare industry has fostered his ability to foresee a system destined for change. The idea that would eventually become SHOUTAmerica grew from McWhorter's deep concern for the impact of healthcare’s rising cost on future generations, as well as his belief in the necessity of empowering young Americans in the issues that shape this nation both today and especially tomorrow.
Thus, in continuing his long legacy of giving back, McWhorter lent his vision, resources and a blank whiteboard to a handful of young individuals, tasked with creating an organization that would educate and energize the future of America on the need for healthcare reform.
The organization formally launched in October 2008 with the SHOUTAmerica Healthcare Leadership Conference. The conference brought together student government leaders from colleges and universities around the nation to Nashville, Tennessee
to discuss healthcare and its impact on the nation. Student leaders interacted with a host of healthcare leaders including Senator Bob Corker
, a co-sponsor of “The Healthy Americans Act” ; U.S. Representative Jim Cooper
, a Rhodes Scholar and Congressman from Tennessee
; Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, a special advisor to the director of the White House
Office of Management and Budget for health policy and a former member of President Clinton’s Health Care Task Force and author of Healthcare Guaranteed; and Stephanie Kennan, a healthcare policy expert and author of the “The Healthy Americans Act.” Participants also helped develop implementation plans to take the SHOUTAmerica cause back to their respective campuses. Highlighting the call to action was a viewing of the original Declaration of Independence
, followed by the signing of SHOUTAmerica’s “Declaration of Commitment” to the pursuit of healthcare reform.,
emerging largely from healthcare's rapidly rising cost, which at current stands to bankrupt the federal government
t, weaken the American economy and leave increasing amounts of Americans uninsured.
with the online community and healthcare experts.
SHOUTAmerica is actively seeking partners to help educate and to provide resources for its community. In October 2008, SHOUTAmerica partnered with change:healthcare, a company focused on driving transparency throughout the healthcare industry. As a leader in consumerism and technology
, change:healthcare's interactive platform provides an online tool to track, share and compare healthcare costs and experiences. This partnership led to the development of the SHOUTAmerica healthcare cost manager, a customized way for the SHOUTAmerica community to evaluate and compare their own healthcare expenditures.
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
that seeks to protect the long-term interest of the nation through the achievement of sustainable healthcare reform.
History
SHOUTAmerica was founded in 2008 with the support of R. Clayton McWhorter, a well-known, veteran healthcare executive and former chairman of Hospital Corporation of AmericaHospital Corporation of America
Hospital Corporation of America is the largest private operator of health care facilities in the world, It is based in Nashville, Tennessee and is widely considered to be the single largest factor in making that city a hotspot for healthcare enterprise.-History:The founders of HCA include Jack C....
. McWhorter’s longtime role as a leader in the healthcare industry has fostered his ability to foresee a system destined for change. The idea that would eventually become SHOUTAmerica grew from McWhorter's deep concern for the impact of healthcare’s rising cost on future generations, as well as his belief in the necessity of empowering young Americans in the issues that shape this nation both today and especially tomorrow.
Thus, in continuing his long legacy of giving back, McWhorter lent his vision, resources and a blank whiteboard to a handful of young individuals, tasked with creating an organization that would educate and energize the future of America on the need for healthcare reform.
The organization formally launched in October 2008 with the SHOUTAmerica Healthcare Leadership Conference. The conference brought together student government leaders from colleges and universities around the nation to Nashville, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
to discuss healthcare and its impact on the nation. Student leaders interacted with a host of healthcare leaders including Senator Bob Corker
Bob Corker
Robert Phillips "Bob" Corker, Jr. is the junior United States Senator from Tennessee. Before his election to the Senate in 2006, he served as mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee from 2001 to 2005. Corker was a businessman prior to holding public office.-Early life and family:Born in Orangeburg, South...
, a co-sponsor of “The Healthy Americans Act” ; U.S. Representative Jim Cooper
Jim Cooper
James Hayes Shofner "Jim" Cooper is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party and the Blue Dog Coalition. He previously represented from 1983 to 1995....
, a Rhodes Scholar and Congressman from Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
; Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, a special advisor to the director of the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
Office of Management and Budget for health policy and a former member of President Clinton’s Health Care Task Force and author of Healthcare Guaranteed; and Stephanie Kennan, a healthcare policy expert and author of the “The Healthy Americans Act.” Participants also helped develop implementation plans to take the SHOUTAmerica cause back to their respective campuses. Highlighting the call to action was a viewing of the original Declaration of Independence
Declaration of independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
, followed by the signing of SHOUTAmerica’s “Declaration of Commitment” to the pursuit of healthcare reform.,
Focus Area
SHOUTAmerica contends that there is a healthcare crisis in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
emerging largely from healthcare's rapidly rising cost, which at current stands to bankrupt the federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
t, weaken the American economy and leave increasing amounts of Americans uninsured.
- As a countryCountryA country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...
and as individuals we pay the most for our healthcare in the worldWorldWorld is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
, but our system ranks 37th in quality according to the World Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
and leaves 1 out of every 6 Americans uninsured.
- In 2007, the average cost for family insuranceInsuranceIn law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
coverage was $12,106 per year.
- General MotorsGeneral MotorsGeneral Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
now spends more on healthcare than on steelSteelSteel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
, while StarbucksStarbucksStarbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
spends more on healthcare than on coffee beanCoffee beanA coffee bean is a seed of a coffee plant. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit often referred to as a cherry. Even though they are seeds, they are referred to as 'beans' because of their resemblance to true beans. The fruits - coffee cherries or coffee berries - most commonly contain two...
s.
- Our government has current unfunded, financial obligations of approximately $34.1 trillion from MedicareMedicare (United States)Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
.
Activities
SHOUTAmerica primarily directs its efforts at spreading awareness and generating dialogue amongst Americans about how the future is being threatened by a broken and unsustainable healthcare system and what they can do to help. The organization offers education materials on its website regarding the healthcare crisis as well as tools and resources aimed at helping individuals develop and share their thoughts about healthcare reform in AmericaUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with the online community and healthcare experts.
SHOUTAmerica is actively seeking partners to help educate and to provide resources for its community. In October 2008, SHOUTAmerica partnered with change:healthcare, a company focused on driving transparency throughout the healthcare industry. As a leader in consumerism and technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
, change:healthcare's interactive platform provides an online tool to track, share and compare healthcare costs and experiences. This partnership led to the development of the SHOUTAmerica healthcare cost manager, a customized way for the SHOUTAmerica community to evaluate and compare their own healthcare expenditures.
See also
- Health care reform in the United StatesHealth care reform in the United StatesHealth care reform in the United States has a long history, of which the most recent results were two federal statutes enacted in 2010: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , signed March 23, 2010, and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 , which amended the PPACA and...
- List of healthcare reform advocacy groups in the United States
- Medicare (United States)Medicare (United States)Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
- Single-payer health careSingle-payer health careSingle-payer health care is medical care funded from a single insurance pool, run by the state. Under a single-payer system, universal health care for an entire population can be financed from a pool to which many parties employees, employers, and the state have contributed...
- United States National Health Care Act
- Universal health careUniversal health careUniversal health care is a term referring to organized health care systems built around the principle of universal coverage for all members of society, combining mechanisms for health financing and service provision.-History:...