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Saturday, January 21, 2012 | 11:26 AM
Robert K. Ross, M.D.
Dr. Ross reflects on how the late civil-rights leader would react to school policies pushing young men away instead of embracing them.
Sunday, January 1, 2012 | 10:25 AM
Robert K. Ross, M.D.
As the year 2011 draws to a close (is 2012 upon us already?), allow me to voice thanks and appreciation for blessings of the past year, blessings that promote peace, justice, opportunity, and health for Americans and Californians:
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 | 11:12 AM
Robert K. Ross, M.D.
"The new health law is making prevention a priority and giving families real hope for a healthier future."
Thursday, October 13, 2011 | 2:19 PM
Robert K. Ross, M.D.
I am growing a bit weary of the incessant, often irrational, and generally unfounded venomous attacks on all manner of government these days, accompanied by the aphorism that “big government” is the source of all of our nation’s woes. Want to fix the economy? Reduce government. Want a real authentic fix to health care? Reduce government. Create jobs, improve public education, repair the housing crisis? Just reduce the size of government,...
Thursday, September 29, 2011 | 3:04 PM
Robert K. Ross, M.D.
During the recent CNN/tea party presidential debate, moderator Wolf Blitzer asked what the candidates would say to a 30-year-old male without health insurance who suffers a catastrophic injury.
“Let him die!” somebody shouted from the audience.
As a pediatrician and health care advocate, I was stunned. But the next morning’s headlines were even more shocking.
The headlines I’m talking about had nothing to do with the debate–at least not di...
Thursday, September 29, 2011 | 11:02 AM
Robert K. Ross, M.D.
As the CEO of a health foundation, I'm quite familiar with the many ways that schools affect the health of children, or at least I thought I was. But in recent months, community activists have schooled me about a problem that wasn't on my radar: the impact of extreme school discipline policies on the health and opportunities of California youth. The issue surfaced when we asked parents and community leaders in disadvantaged neighborhoods to tell us about roadblocks faced by youth. Parents pointe...
Monday, September 12, 2011 | 1:56 PM
Robert K. Ross, M.D.
As I open my morning newspaper these days, I am reminded of what it was like to open the door to my son’s room when he was a teenager. You know full well it’s going to be messy; it’s just a matter of how messy it’s going to be. But of the full range of ugliness that seems to pervade our news these days, nothing strikes me as painful and discomforting as the death of an infant, child, or young person.
Over the past two-plus years, the Los Angeles Times has intermittentl...
Tuesday, August 23, 2011 | 10:35 AM
Robert K. Ross, M.D.
Those of you who follow the news headlines undoubtedly have heard about the tragic consequences of bullying in schools. The old adage ‘kids will be kids’ is no longer an excuse for a problem that has resulted in the suffering and, in some instances, suicide of far too many of our youth. It is up to all of us to put an end to this cruel behavior. This op-ed about a bullying incident witnessed by a youth highlights a serious issue: how can we prevent bullying when teachers and other ad...
Tuesday, August 9, 2011 | 10:06 AM
Robert K. Ross, M.D.
During a time in our nation when we seemingly weather successive waves of just-plain-ugly, a bright moment occurred last week when Mayor Michael Bloomberg and philanthropist George Soros combined to announce a $120mil-plus venture to improve the civic well-being of black and brown boys and young men in New York City.
Sunday, July 17, 2011 | 11:20 AM
Robert K. Ross, M.D.
"My generation has failed your generation." "That was among the things I said to more than 100 youth leaders from across California who gathered recently in Sacramento to craft a shared vision for how disinvested communities could become ones that are thriving with health and opportunity."
Monday, May 9, 2011 | 5:43 PM
Robert K. Ross, M.D.
Last week our Board of Directors traveled to visit our Building Healthy Communities site located in Del Norte County, and the primary emphasis of this visit was tribal land adjacent to the scenic and beautiful Klamath River. As is our custom at our board meetings, we spend the better part of two days meeting with and learning from local leaders engaged in the battle to improve the health of disinvested, distressed, and marginalized communities.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011 | 2:32 PM
Robert K. Ross, M.D.
"Happy Birthday, ACA!
At The California Endowment, we pause to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). But we don’t have the luxury of pausing too long, because this one-year legislative “toddler” continues to grow in, shall we say, a less-than-supportive family environment in our nation’s capitol. We must work to support its successful implementation, and there is little time to celebrate at the birthday party.
...
Monday, November 29, 2010 | 5:00 PM
Robert K. Ross, M.D.
The California Endowment today issued a press release applauding Governor Schwarzenegger for rejecting the role of a lame duck, and called on him to take a few ‘Last Action’ items to help solidify his legacy as a national health and wellness leader. The list of 15 specific executive actions complete the fitness icon’s track record in promoting the health and well-being of Californians for years to come. While much of the attention in Sacramento among lobbyists, appointment-se...
Thursday, November 18, 2010 | 4:30 PM
Robert K. Ross, M.D.
Coachella Valley, one of the 14 Building Healthy Communities (BHC), recently completed their 3-year implementation plan for improving local health—a definite cause for celebration!
However, on a recent trip there I had an eye-opening experience that shocked me and reminded me why The California Endowment launched its 10-year plan to help reverse the health inequities these communities live under. This particular experience serves as an example of how communities are marginalized...
Tuesday, November 2, 2010 | 4:27 PM
Robert K. Ross, M.D.
So, why is The California Endowment doing a public education and outreach effort around the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA)? The answer is simple: our mission is to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. To do that, we must move beyond the heated rhetoric coming from all sides in the debate over the new health law, to learn what’s actuall...
Friday, October 15, 2010 | 10:23 AM
Robert K. Ross, M.D.
At the church I attend on Sunday – and I suspect such a ritual exists at most houses of worship – we traditionally reserve a portion of the service to offer prayer for those in need. What is fascinating is that our church offers prayer for the powerful (“those who govern and lead nations”) as well as the disenfranchised (“the homeless, the poor, the sick, and the imprisoned”).
This past year I find myself praying harder – if you can imagine such a...
Monday, September 13, 2010 | 11:38 AM
Robert K. Ross, M.D.
Last week, the leaders of an unprecedented coalition of health, university and civic institutions announced a commitment to rally around the financially distressed Charles Drew University in South Los Angeles, and brighten its prospects for a more vibrant future. Born out of the Watts riots and social unrest more than 40 years ago, Charles Drew has matured into a health improvement, education, training, and research force serving South Los Angeles and beyond in recent decades.
As noted in...
Friday, September 3, 2010 | 12:38 PM
Robert K. Ross, M.D.
Our foundation was joined this week by Latino civic and community leaders, Spanish-language media professionals, and California Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado to kick off a statewide education campaign targeting the Latino community about the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as the new health care law.
Monday, August 9, 2010 | 1:49 PM
Robert K. Ross, M.D.
Judge Vaughn Walker's recent decision to overturn Proposition 8 and the institutionalized discrimination it represented has the potential to revolutionize our country's cultural landscape profoundly and permanently. Cases like this one, which defined and ultimately protected a fundamental civil right for a population that has suffered from discrimination, are rare, and their effects are felt far beyond the courtrooms where they are decided.
While the primary, and most important feature o...
Thursday, June 24, 2010 | 10:08 AM
Robert K. Ross M.D.
Here at The California Endowment, we invest in our communities, in the people across the state who are working hard every day to improve the health of all Californians. We usually don’t talk very much about our actual investments, how we act as responsible stewards for the capital that allows us to support these organizations and individuals. Today, I’m writing as a concerned investor.
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