The first Student Health Consortium (SHC), a bi-monthly meeting of many medical and health-concerned student and special interest groups, is to be held today.

The medical conference, which starts at 6:30 p.m. and is scheduled to last until 8:30 p.m., is focused on a keynote speaker. This week's consortium features Jennifer Muhm, vice president of public resources for the Washington Health Foundation.

The purpose of the SHC is to bring together health-interested groups, and discuss how to make the UW campus, the Seattle area and indeed the entire state of Washington the "healthiest state," said director Stephanie Lin.

The SHC meetings are on the second and fourth Monday of every month. The group consists of six volunteers directed by Lin, but any health-interested students are welcome to join, she said.

"I think the Student Health Consortium is a great idea," she said. "I think it's got a lot of potential for inter-campus cooperation...It's going to be a great resource for students."

Reporter Jeffrey Tripoli: news@thedaily.washington.edu