[Oe List ...] Witness on healthcare

[Dorothea Jewell]

This is a voice from the past - thought you might be interested in what
she's been doing. It is one of the many messages related to health
conversation. 

 

I just got around to reading the article from the Atlantic that Nathan sent.
I think it's well worth a read - some interesting and very different
thoughts from what I've seen. It would be great if we could really have a
thoughtful conversation that explores innovative and diverse perspectives. 

 

We'll be coming into Boston on Friday evening and will leave on Monday for
St Louis and on to Seattle on Friday. I don't know if we'll rent a car or
use a transportation service. We'll see. 

 

Perhaps this is the weekend you're going to U of I? Wherever, have a good
weekend.

 

Love, Mom

 

 

 

 

 

  _____  

From: oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf
Of Debra Watson
Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2009 11:17 AM
To: oe at wedgeblade.net
Subject: [Oe List ...] Witness on healthcare

 


Witness (I confess my first!): 

I have been following the discussion on health care with interest. I am a
school nurse in Houston- not the poorest area of town but by no means middle
class. Almost 30% of students at my school have no health coverage. (Texas
is near the bottom of list in children's coverage).  

 

Most of these students' parents work fulltime- usually minimum wage, no
benefits. Or work two or three jobs so just above the Medicaid threshold.
Hence hard working, loving parents have no healthcare for their children,
much less themselves. (If they weren't working- their kids could get
Medicaid.) I have had parents come crying to the clinic because they were
just fired when left work for their sick child. Other parents (trying to
hold onto their jobs) mask their children's illness w/Motrin or Tylenol-
even when they do have healthcare. These parents need a solution.  And we
all suffer, for sickness knows no boundaries- or politics.

 

I have worked in indigent hospitals as well as home health in some of the
poorest communities, so know the situation first hand. I can well attest to
the consequences of an inadequate health care system. Public health and
school nurses by and large agree there has to be affordable options for
everyone- we see the need every single day. Emergency rooms overflow with
patients far better served by primary care- but no access. When Katrina &
Ike hit, we referred evacuees to the same severely overstretched low cost
health clinics. Food stamps are still backed up for months and months. Same
pool of resources - but way more people needing services- and this was well
before the recession.  Our country needs a comprehensive solution. 

 

Debra Harris RN

 

PS. In 1990 I lived in post communist Eastern Europe-Poland. Their
healthcare system was not perfect by far but way more than adequate (I
experienced first hand prenatal care thru early childhood usage for my dtr).
Poland is not a wealthy country yet they still had close to 96% literacy,
free or extremely low cost college- (thru a master's degree and beyond),
100% school lunch and 100% access to healthcare. Yes there were issues in
their society and their healthcare. Ours is better quality- but
unfortunately only for those who can afford or have access to it.




 

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