What are the critical issues in health care? How do we make a healthy neighborhood? How do you build a hospital for the future? What are the health issues for the Hispanic community?

Indiana University South Bend’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the Division of Nursing and Health Professions are sponsoring a community health forum on Sept. 15 and 16 that will examine many of the pertinent issues of health management and public policy facing the country.

The forum is geared for health care professionals, health care managers, community health workers, and those studying to enter the health care professions, and management and pre-medicine students.

Charles S. Lauer, publisher of Modern Healthcare, is the keynote speaker at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, in Room 221, Student Activities Center. He will address the crisis in health care leadership.

Lauer is corporate vice president of Crain Communications, author, public speaker and businessman. He is in demand for his motivational speeches to companies across the country.

Lauer’s speech is free and open to the public.

The forum continues with a continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 16 in the Wiekamp Hall lobby. There will be four information sessions at 9:15 a.m. and four additional sessions at 11:15 a.m.

The topics will be Hispanic health initiatives, issues facing hospitals and health systems, the main issues in health care, taking health care to neighborhoods, building a patient centered culture, building hospitals of the future, issues in public health and legal issues.

Speakers include Melvin Hall, president and CEO for Press Ganey Associates; Nancy Hellyer, CEO of St. Joseph Regional Medical Center; and Dr. Aixsa Perez, health care officer for Elkhart County

The cost for the Friday program is $35 or $10 for students with identification. For information call (574) 520-4132. You can register on line at http://www.iusb.edu/~sbspea/healthcareforum.htm