UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute hosts Special Olympics Health Symposium

July 17, 2010

Dr. Mark Wagner of Special Olympics International, Dr. Mike Leibowitz, Director of UNMC's Munroe-Meyer Institute, and Dr. Tim Shriver, CEO of Special Olympics

A recent Special Olympics Health Symposium, sponsored in part by the Munroe-Meyer Institute at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), highlighted the health concerns faced by people with intellectual/developmental disabilities.

The symposium preceded the 2010 Special Olympics USA National Games in Lincoln, in which nearly 3,000 athletes will compete.

Special Olympics Chairman and CEO Tim Shriver, Ph.D. issued a challenge - join the Special Olympics movement's fight to counter obesity, encourage physical fitness, and increase access to health care. Other national speakers included Mike Besser, M.D., Senior Health Editor at ABC news; Gloria Krahan, Ph.D., Director of the Division of Human Development and Disability, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Steve Eidelman, Ph.D., Professor of Human Resources, Policy, and Leadership, University of Delaware.

Michael Leibowitz, Ph.D., Director of the UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute, discussed the impact of the Americans with Disability Act. Other MMI faculty presenting included Cindy Ellis, M.D., Joe Evans, Ph.D., and Wayne Stuberg, Ph.D.

The event included discussions on the impact of health policies, the inclusion of people with disabilities in the discussion of health care disparities, how academic institutions are preparing professionals, and best practices for delivering family-centered care.