Bonnie Wesorick, a former faculty member, will return to campus tonight to tell students how they can involve themselves in the hot topic of health care reform for the first speech of the Frederik Meijer Lecture Series.

Wesorick used to be a nursing instructor at Grand Valley State University but now works at the Clinical Practice Model Resource Center, a center she founded that works to change the health care system by studying and working with patient care and clinical practice guidelines.

The lecture will be held at 7 p.m. on the second floor of the Eberhard Center on GVSU’s Pew Campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Although Wesorick is a registered nurse and will talk specifically about health care, she said her lecture will share important information with students not studying in the health arena too, as all people are consumers of health care and students will need to find their own health care by the time they turn 26.

“Most people know that the quality of your life is markedly impacted by the quality of your health, and health care is the No. 1 most significant issue being addressed in our country right now,” Wesorick said. “Every human in time will need the health care system.”

Wesorick’s goal is to overhaul the U.S. health care system to make it truly accessible to everyone, from pre-birth through death. Many of her ideas have been influenced by travel — she has been to all 50 states and five countries — and those experiences have shaped her view of which elements could be incorporated to better the health care system in the U.S., as well as ideas of how U.S. practices could improve health care in other nations.

“[Other industrialized nations] have walked their talk that they believe every human deserves health care and they have created a system to support that,” Wesorick said.

Jeffrey Chamberlain, director of the Frederik Meijer Honors College, helped bring Wesorick to campus for the first lecture of the series. He said Wesorick was chosen because she is a leader in health care and also a firm believer in a liberal education.

“She told me when we talked that she sees connections all of the time, and sees regularly how people with a liberal education make connections that others wouldn’t,” Chamberlain said.

Wesorick’s passion for bringing health care to all citizens of our country has driven her to impact policies in health care centers in 26 states.

“When the ‘system’ prevented her from achieving her vision of holistic, patient-centered care, she came up with a solution,” said Cynthia McCurren, dean of the Kirkhof College of Nursing.

Wesorick said she plans to show students how every single person can impact health care, from sociologists to philosophers to engineers to chemists to politicians.

“[Wesorick] brings her message home by appealing to the heart of the matter, values and urgency to address issues that affect us all,” McCurren added.

Although Wesorick said that if she became sick she said she would not want to be anywhere else, she said it is not the same for many U.S. citizens who cannot afford good health insurance and then wait until it is too late to go to the doctor.

“Having heard her speak before, I know students will connect with her real-life stories and learn one nurse’s way of making a difference for many people,” said Elaine Van Doren, associate dean for undergraduate programs and associate KCON professor.

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