Griffith Leadership Center - University of Michigan - School of Public Health

Professor Wheeler’s insights from Dr. Klusen’s visit:

Health reform seems possible in western European countries because of their shared concept of “solidarity,” which means there is interest in taking care of everyone. In Germany, they also have the balancing concept of “subsidiarity,” which means people are to take care of themselves as well. In the USA, we seem to weigh subsidiarity (which we may call individuality or self-reliance) more highly than is the case elsewhere.

A second insight is that issues in the design of health insurance systems, public or private, are common across developed countries.

I think our students have gained substantially from reading and evaluating case studies with European health systems as the context.

Dr. Norbert Klusen, speaks with the Griffith Leadership Center in Health Management and Policy Department on the German Health Care System (See Video below)

Dr. Klusen taught a 1 credit class “The German Health Care System in an International Context” for Professor Jack Wheeler in the Health Management and Policy Department at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. During his visit, he also gave other guest lectures in the HMP department.

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Dr. Klusen was brought to the University of Michigan through funding provided by the Griffith Leadership Center as a part of its Executive in Residence program and due to the work of Professor Scott Greer and Doctoral Student Simone Rauscher.

We gratefully thank Dr. Klusen for coming to the University of Michigan, Department of Health Management and Policy and sharing his expertise.

Click Here to download the 08 Sep. 2009 lecture slides.

If you would like further information or would like to email Dr. Klusen, he can be contacted at leadershiphmp@umich.edu

Department of Health Management and Policy
Griffith Leadership Center
3611 SPH Tower, Ann Arbor MI 48109-2029
Phone: 734-936-5556 Fax: 734-764-4338