On October 6, 2009, we presented Bevel Up in Chicago at the American Journal of Nursing Conference: Advancing Excellence in Nursing Practice. The day after we held 2 screenings at the University of Illinois, School of Nursing for students, faculty and Chicago service providers. We were in the windy city – land of Oprah and pizza. The hosts of both venues were extremely welcoming and hospitable.
Participants engaged in discussions and expressed frustrations about the barriers to health care in the US. There were also many misperceptions in the group around how the Canadian health care system works, such as the perceived limits of, rationing, and lack of services in a public system. The dialogue provided a great opportunity for sharing and we all learned from each other.
With the Olympic games less than two weeks away, I'm feeling absolutely saturated with pre-Olympic "news". I now know more than I will ever ever need to about aritifical snow, road closures, and the City of Vancouver's guidelines on sock colours. But along with the intense security, the ubiquitous advertising, and the (hey, remember them?) incredible athletes, the Olympics also bring an opportunity to talk about the issues facing this city.
