FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nonprofit Celebrates Five Years, Four Books, and Bipartisan Platform

CodeBlueNow! was formed five years ago on October 24, 2003, from ideas that emerged in a national contest to “Build an American Health System,” with the intent of engaging the public and finding common ground on health care reform.   One of the ten contest finalists, J. L. Richardson, M.D, has published a book, Patient Handbook to Medical Care: Your Personal Health Guide (Bend of the River Books, Miami, FL).  Dr. Richardson’s book won a Writer’s Digest International Self-Published Book Award in the Reference Books category and will be exhibited at the Frankfurt International Book Fair from October 15-19th in Frankfurt, Germany.

Dr. Richardson’s book is the third book to be published as a result of the “Build an American Health System” contest which launched CodeBlueNow!.  Since that time, two other books have been published by contest finalists:  The Health Care Solution: A Strategic Solution for The Health Care Revolution, by Wayne B. Anthony, M.Div., M.B.A., CEAP, SPHR (Book Publishers Network, June 2005) and Balanced Choice: A Common Sense Cure for the US Health Care Systems, by Ivan J. Miller (Authorhouse, 2006). 

The contest itself emerged from the publication of CodeBlueNow! Founder and CEO, Kathleen O’Connor’s, book: The Buck Stops Nowhere Why America’s Health Care Is All Dollars and No Sense (Hara Publishing Group, April, 2001). 

“When you think of how limited our resources have been and how vast this industry is, I am encouraged by our accomplishments.  I cannot even begin to count how many articles and seminars have come about as a result of the contest and CodeBlueNow!’s determination to give the public a voice,” observes O’Connor. 

Since its inception in 2003, CodeBlueNow! has: Conducted a pilot project in Oregon; published a 10 week series of editorials in the Seattle Post Intelligencer; conducted two market research surveys to learn what the public values in health care reform and surveyed the members of over 15 organizations to validate the results; and created the Voters’ Health Care Platform as the culmination of this Phase I work.  The Voters’ Health Care Platform has now been sent to every governor and senator who is not up for election, setting the stage for Phase II which may include: A public education campaign; a national survey focusing on delivery system, financing and management options; and a pilot project on state-level reform.

“More common ground and consensus exist than the parties or the pundits report.  We will never get to significant reform without acknowledging common ground and consensus and building on it,” O’Connor stresses. 

CodeBlueNow! is a 501©3 nonpartisan, national, grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to giving the public a voice in shaping a new health care system.  The Seattle based organization conducts research, forges partnerships, builds consensus and creates a positive vision.  www.codebluenow.org

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