OUR VIEWS: Attend health care forum Wednesday

Originally published May 27, 2001

South Sound is in the midst of a health care crisis. -Memorial Clinic, the largest multi- specialty health care clinic in Thurston County, goes out of business in one month.

The clinic, which once boasted 90 physicians, saw nearly half of them leave their practice in a doctor drain that has reached far beyond the clinic's walls.

-Doctors have stopped seeing or limited the number of low-income patients they serve because of inadequate reimbursement rates from state- and federal-sponsored health delivery programs.

-Don't look to the state Legislature for help. The House budget proposal eliminates 35,000 slots in the state's Basic Health Plan, which serves low-income working families that have no other option for health insurance. The $103 million budget savings would force even more families into hospital emergency rooms, where it costs five times more money to treat them.

-Thousands of South Sound residents have struggled to find a primary care physician. By one estimate, between 7,000 and 8,000 insured men, women and children won't have a doctor when the clinic folds July 1.

-Hospital emergency rooms are bearing the brunt of the crisis. Residents without primary care doctors are showing up on the hospital steps for their routine medical needs.

Emergency room visits this year are up 14 percent at Capital Medical Center and 18 percent at Providence St. Peter Hospital.

Administrators predict the number of ER visits will continue to increase.

Senators will listen

That sets the scene for this week's health care forum, featuring U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and a panel of health care professionals.

"Health care in crisis: A conversation with our U.S. senators" will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Olympia Center, 222 N. Columbia St.

The public is encouraged to attend. There is no charge.

If you can't make Wednesday's forum, tune in on the radio or television.

Health care professionals

Panel members for the health forum are:

-Dr. Tom Curry, executive director, Washington State Medical Association.

-Sara Erickson, policy advisor, Children's Health Alliance.

-Dr. Tom Norris, executive director, University of Washington Physicians Network.

-Vickie Ybarra, director of planning and development, Yakima Valley Farmworkers Clinic.

-Kristen West, executive director, CHOICE Regional Health Network.

-Mary Selecky, secretary, state Department of Health.

-Scott Bond, administrator, Providence St. Peter Hospital.

Panel members will outline federal and state programs serving the uninsured and underserved. They will outline what programs are working and which programs are in need of alterations or additional funding.

Time will be set aside for questions from the audience.

Live broadcast

The Olympian is proud to have initiated this forum and co-sponsor it with our media partners KGY Radio and TCTV. The program will be aired live on KGY 1240 and on the local cable access channel. The forum will be broadcast statewide via TVW.

Political leadership

This community is extremely fortunate that Sens. Cantwell and Murray are looking to this community for guidance on this important national issue.

There has been no political will nor leadership in the nation's capital to address health care since President Clinton's reform effort collapsed in 1994.

Murray and Cantwell deserve credit for their eagerness to listen to their constituents and their willingness to push for legislative solutions to the health care crisis that grips this community, state and nation.

On the web:

Washington State U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives.

Washington State Legislature.

Online forum

The Olympian's Web site features an online forum for readers to discuss their views with other South Sound residents on topics of importance and interest.

Olympian online forum

- U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell will discuss health care issues in Olympia on Wednesday. What question would you like them to answer?

To participate, Click Here, register and join the discussion.

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The Olympian Copyright 2001

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