Caledonia Argus

Gingrich to speak at Luther College

Posted: 10/7/03

Newt Gingrich, former U.S. Congressman and Republican Party leader who served as Speaker of the House of Representatives 1995-99, will speak at Luther College Thursday, Oct. 9, 7:30 p.m. on ìTransforming the Health Care System.î

A Luther College Distinguished Lecture, the presentation by Gingrich will be in the Luther Center for Faith and Life. It is open to the public with no charge for admission. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Gingrich is the founder of the Center for Health Transformation, a project by top leaders in both the public and private sectors that aims to transform health care into a system of better outcomes at lower costs.

In his book ìSaving Lives & Saving Money,î Gingrich describes his vision of 21st century system of health and health care that is centered on the individual, focused on prevention and empowered by knowledge and innovation. He makes the case for a market-mediated system that he argues will improve choice and quality while driving down costs. Gingrichís commitment to a better system of health care for Americans includes his Congressional leadership in saving Medicare from bankruptcy, reforming the Food and Drug Administration, and initiating new focus on research, prevention, and wellness. His work has been recognized by the American Diabetes Association, which presented him the ADAís highest non-medical award, and the March of Dimes, which named him its Georgia Citizen of the Year in 1995. He currently serves as a board member of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.

In his post-Congress role, Gingrich has been a frequent speaker on a wide range of topics, including world history, military issues and international affairs. He is the author of seven books, including the best sellers ìContract with Americaî and ìTo Renew America.î His most recently published books are ìGettysburg: A Novel of the Civil Warî and ìSaving Lives & Saving Money,î a proposal to transform health and health care.

Gingrich serves as a member of the Defense Policy Board and is the longest-serving teacher of the Joint War Fighting course for Major Generals. He teaches officers from all five military services as a distinguished visiting scholar and professor at the National Defense University.

He serves on the Terrorism Task Force for the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an Editorial Board Member of the Johns Hopkins University journal Biosecurity and Bioterrorism and is an advisory board member of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.

In 1999, Gingich was appointed to the United States Commission on National Security/21st Century, the Hart/Rudman Commission to examine national security challenges.

A former environmental studies professor, he is widely recognized for his commitment to the environment and to the advancement of a new, common sense environmentalism. In 1998, the Georgia Wildlife Federation named him Legislative Conservationist of the Year.

A strong advocate of volunteerism, Gingrich champions the positive impact every individual can have on society. He has raised millions of dollars for charity, donating both time and money to a wide array of causes, including Habitat for Humanity, United Cerebral Palsy, the American Cancer Society and ZooAtlanta.

Gingrich holds the bachelorís degree from Emory University and the masterís and doctoral degree in modern European history from Tulane University. Before his election to Congress, he taught history and environmental studies at West Georgia College for eight years.

He resides in Virginia with his wife, Callista. He has two daughters and two grandchildren.

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