Michael C.K. Maii '99, co-chair of the event, said that although the panel had been planned for months, the Hatch-Kennedy bill was a recent development.

"The announcement couldn't have come at a better time," Maii said.

Rebecca D. Onie '98-'97, director of the IOP's multidisciplinary service program Project H.E.A.L.T.H., was also pleased with the forum.

"This was an exciting culmination," Onie said. "We wanted to reach the Harvard community and the larger community."

Onie said she was happy with the success of this one-time event. She also noted Project H.E.A.L.T.H.'s daily efforts in public service.

As the program's mission states, Project H.E.A.L.T.H. allows "Harvard undergraduates to witness the interconnectedness of major social ills while working to rectify them."

Panel member Robert Restuccia, executive director of Health Care for All, praised the efforts of student leaders and volunteers.

"You are the troops of the future," Restuccia said