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Scheduled
How did the safety net get its start? How has the past shaped the system that we have today? What would society look like if we modernized the safety net? These are the questions we explore with American Compassion.
Starting this fall, the LBJ School is teaming up with Findhelp to host live recordings of the newest episodes of American Compassion. Throughout the academic year, we’ll be inviting policymakers, experts and leaders in social care to participate in panel discussions about the future of the safety net. These events are free and open to the public – join us at the next one!
Lunch will be available for registered guests.
Upcoming Series Schedule
November 13: What Happens Now?
After the results of the US presidential election, we explore what the outcome means for social care and the future of the safety net — for the next four years, at least.
- Glen Chambers oversees the Government Relations teams at Findhelp. The first 20 years of his career were spent as a staffer in the US Senate, where he served as Chief of Staff to Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri. After leaving the Senate, Glen was the SVP of Federal Affairs at a Fortune 5 health care company and a major Association.
- Barbara Chapman serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor and Lead Faculty for the Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner programs at The University of Texas at Tyler. She co-directs the University of Texas at Tyler Free Mental Healthcare Outreach Line, offering consultations statewide. With over 35 years in nursing, Chapman has dedicated much of her career to serving uninsured and medically underserved populations, including work with the Community Health Care Clinic in McKinney and “The INTUNE Mobile Unit.”
- Paul Stekler makes nationally acclaimed documentaries about American politics and history. They include George Wallace: Settin’ the Woods on Fire, Vote for Me: Politics in America, and a nine-part series, Postcards from the Great Divide, co-produced with the Washington Post. He has a PhD in American politics (Harvard ’82) and taught documentary filmmaking at UT for 25 years.
- Bob Wood is Chairman and CEO of BGR Group, a bipartisan lobbying and communications firm based in Washington, D.C. He has led numerous campaigns for public policy efforts, using his state and federal experience to engage lawmakers and activate community-based support. He served as Chief of Staff for Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson, helping to steer the passage and implementation of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act. Bob previously served as Chief of Staff to Thompson while he was Governor of Wisconsin.
February 12: Social Care in the Digital Age
Given the flaws in the safety net and the political realities that exist in 2025, we explore how we can modernize the system, and discuss the roles played by AI, health insurance companies, and SDoH tech.
March 26: Who’s Doing it Best?
As we continue to explore ways to improve America’s safety net, we look for examples of those who are innovating to create modern solutions.
Past Series Schedule
Sept. 18, 2024: The Broken U.S. Safety Net
We take a big picture look at the modern safety net — how did we get here, what’s broken, and what are the biggest challenges standing in the way of Americans who need help? Speakers include:
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Erine Gray — Social care tech leader and LBJ School alum: Erine Gray has dedicated his career to advocating for the underserved. He founded Findhelp in 2010 and leads the company's vision. Erine is a 2019 TED Senior Fellow and has deep expertise in eligibility programs for public healthcare services. Prior to starting Findhelp, he helped the Texas Health and Human Services Commission streamline their public benefits enrollment process.
- Isha Desselle — Founder of nonprofit for unhoused seniors: Isha Deselle is the founder of Turning Point Center in Houston, an independent, nonprofit organization that offers food, shelter, and other rehabilitative services. Their mission is to meet the physical and emotional needs of a neglected segment of society: underprivileged individuals aged 50 and above who are unable to provide safe and adequate living conditions for themselves.
- Maninder “Mini” Kahlon, Ph.D. — Neuroscientist and population health expert: Maninder "Mini" Kahlon is an associate professor in the University of Texas-Austin Dell Medical School's Department of Population Health and was Dell Medical School's founding vice dean of the health ecosystem. Her translational lab, Factor Health, identifies opportunities to rapidly improve health through programs embedded in people's lives, outside the clinic, testing them through community-based trials.
- Dr. Pritesh Gandhi — Health care leader and physician executive: Dr. Pritesh Gandhi is the Chief Community Health Officer of Walmart, where he leads a diverse portfolio across digital health programs, community health workers, and behavioral health to improve health outcomes for Walmart customers. Prior to that, he served as the Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and as principal advisor to the DHS Secretary and senior leadership on medical and public health issues related to natural disasters, border health, pandemic response, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters.
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