On Jan. 1, the sweeping changes of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will go into effect. As part of its monthly “Third Shabbat” program, Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Community will hold “The Affordable Care Act: Beyond the Politics,” featuring a talk by former Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services Director Margaret Donnelly. After  her talk, there will be a panel discussion on the ACA. The discussion takes place at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Jewish Community CenterStaenberg Family Complex in the Arts & Education Building, 2 Millstone Campus Drive in Creve Coeur. 

The panel discussion will include Andy Glassberg, Founders’ Associate Professor of Public Policy at University of Missouri-St. Louis, and Andrew Rehfeld, President  & CEO of Jewish Federation.

Donnelly is the Health Law Practitioner-in-Residence at the St. Louis University School of Law. She teaches health law and its legislative and administrative processes and is a leader in the field of health law policy. 

She led the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services until 2012, serving as the state’s top public health official and overseeing a budget of $1 billion, with responsibilities ranging from planning the state’s response to disasters to inspecting hospitals and child care centers, and supervising programs that allow seniors and people with disabilities to live independently.

Free and open to the public. For more information about Shir Hadash, visit www.shirhadashstl.info.