GRAND BLANC -- "This is amazing,” said Barbara Kornblau, Dean of U-M Flint’s Health Professions and Studies program, speaking of the current health care reform taken up by the US Senate this weekend. 

“It’s definitely the furthest health care has gone and it’s going to go a lot further,” she added.  Kornblau helped provide the language to health care legislation that passed the House and a similar version in the Senate. 

Her contributions related to treating those with medical disabilities and promoting health screenings for at-risk populations with diabetes and high blood pressure for example.   

“Staffers will call people that they consider experts and asked them, “you know, we’d like to do this, do you have any language that would be helpful to us,” she said. 

Kornblau said reform is needed to curb rising costs, lack of access and spur competition.  She is already getting phone calls from Congressional staffers preparing for upcoming Senate debate.

After the Senate votes, its version will be matched up with the House bill in a conference committee.  Kornblau said it’s not clear what the final version may look like, although leadership in both chambers insist that a public option be included.