A former senator who planned to attend tonight’s campus health care discussion took a plane to Haiti instead.
Former Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., who is also a heart and lung transplant surgeon, traveled to Haiti Sunday night to help with the relief efforts, said Vicki Gervickas, communications director for the Bob Graham Center for Public Service.
The health care discussion will be held as scheduled at 7 p.m. in Pugh Hall and will feature a speech from former Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., and an appearance by former Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla.
Gervickas said Graham intended to introduce the speakers, but she is unsure if he will play a bigger role in the discussion in light of Frist’s absence.
“I’m not certain at this point if he’s going to amp up his role a little bit more or not,” Gervickas said.
Frist posted a message on Twitter about his decision on Saturday at about 2:30 p.m.
“Haiti needs surgeons, so I am going at 3 tomorrow — desperate need for antibiotics, need in bulk only — if you have extra,” Frist Tweeted.
He has continued to write via Twitter about his activities in Haiti and has highlighted both the devastation and the need for medical supplies.
Gervickas said the Bob Graham Center could not find a replacement for Frist on short notice and had problems getting in touch with people during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
She said the speakers will make suggestions about how politicians can apply bipartisan lessons learned from the health care debate to other issues, including climate change and education reform.
Lessons about moving forward more productively and more effectively in politics can be applied in every aspect of life, Gervickas said.
