Contributor

Gary J Stein

I am an author, blogger, advocate and consultant on issues of health and health equity at all levels, public and private.

Gary Stein, MPH, a native of Detroit, has been a blogger for the Huffington Post since 2009, after the Post featured a story about his family that launched the Impact section. He has also written for Context Florida, Health News Florida, Florida Politics, and Politics of Pot. He is currently working a book about medical marijuana called, "The Great Green Hope". He has worked as an advocate and consultant on issues of health and health equity including medicaid expansion, needle exchange programs, gun violence and increased access to healthcare. He was Executive Director of Health Equity Connections(HECAC), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. HECAC worked to promote Health, Wellness and greater access to appropriate, cost-effective Healthcare for vulnerable populations and save Medicaid and Medicare millions and reduce the millions in uncompensated care to healthcare providers. Health Equity Connections and Accountable Care also seeks to promote an employment model to hire and train the blind and visually disabled so that they can earn an appropriate living wage by telecommuting. Information on HECAC can be found at www.HECAC.info Mr. Stein worked for decades in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, working on HIV/STD/TB and for the Florida Department of Health in Tobacco Control Programs and the Department of Health Equity. He also served as the Director of Public Policy for the Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology (FAAST) Seeking to get Assistive and Adaptive Technology to the physically, visually and audible impaired to improve their education, chance for employment and a higher quality of life. Gary's wife Monique suffers from Stickler syndrome, a rare disorder that's caused her to go blind. The Stein family had gone into debt in order to afford procedures for their daughters to save their eyesight. The Huffington Post community donated over $30,000 to the Stein family in October to help them cope with their overwhelming medical bills.