By NICOLE DANNA Colorado Daily Staff Writer
Monday, May 21, 2007 8:25 PM MDT
When it comes to establishing a better health care system, what must be the state's priorities, and who is responsible for putting such a plan into action?
Is it the government, the people - or the employers?
These were just a few of the questions thrown around during the Boulder County Forum on Medically Underserved held Monday at the Boulder Court House, where more than 30 of the county's leaders in health, human services and government came together to discuss health-care reform in the state of Colorado.
The panelists included representatives of service providers, hospitals, community health care centers and nonprofits, as well as government officials - including the Boulder County Department of Public Health Director Chuck Stout and state legislators.
All were confronted with the same issue: increasing access to health care for the medically underserved in Boulder County by examining local issues affecting people without adequate insurance.
“The costs of many types of vital health care are astronomical - and for a person with little or no health insurance, paying for even the most basic health care can create an insurmountable financial burden,” said County Commissioner Tom Mayer.
For Susan Levy, executive director to the Boulder Valley Women's Health clinic, one goal should be to focus not on illness care, but preventative health care - to treat the problem before it develops into a costly burden.
“That means focusing more on community education,” said Levy. “Part of the reason people are in the emergency rooms is because they don't know where else they could go.”
Although there is no immediate cost benefit from such a course, the savings will come 10 to 20 years later, when that person is not in the system, said Levy.
Peter Dawson, a pediatrician with the People's Clinic, agreed. According to Dawson, diabetes is an overwhelming issue at the clinic, but could be averted with proper nutritional education.
While education and preventative practices are one way to solve a growing healthcare burden, Levy added there is still a need to delineate who is responsible for funding health care.
“Is it the private sector, the public, or the employers? We need to find where those percentages shake out,” said Levy.
Other panelists agreed funding was an important part of the problem, but added collaboration between the nonprofit health care centers and community hospitals is also in need of improvement.
For Karen Cody, CEO of Dental Aid, a coordination effort is needed to improve how many dentists were on-call to treat the 58,000 impoverished Coloradoans who currently cannot afford dental care. According to Cody, there are fewer than 10 dentists in the county that accept Medicaid, and just fewer than seven dentists currently available to treat that population - just one doctor for 8,500 people.
By not realizing the link between dental and systemic health, Cody said it is increasing the number of people who will need illness care as a result.
Barbara Ryan, Executive Director of the Mental Health Center serving Boulder and Broomfield counties, added the lack of affordable coverage for people who suffer from mental illness is causing a similar situation.
“A challenge for us is pure stigma Š most people don't get treatment because their insurance does not cover it, and the stigma it carries,” said Ryan. “We continue to think mental health is not treatable, but it is.”
The treatment success rate for those suffering from bipolar disorder is 80 percent, while patients suffering from major depression and schizophrenia see a 60 percent success rate when treated.
Without care, however, many people suffering mental illness end up in community emergency rooms where they don't need to be, added Ryan, while others end up in homeless shelters and jails at a far greater cost to the state.
Cody also mentioned the importance of having bilingual health care providers, a sentiment echoed by the majority of panelists, including Stout.
For Stout, one of our county's biggest problems is the growing need for bilingual employees within the health care system.
“We must address this issue,” said Stout. “In Boulder County, we need to find the courage to bring bilinguals into the system.”
For Colorado state legislators Paul Weissmann and Jack Pommer, the Colorado 208 Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform is one positive step in the right direction.
The 24-member Blue Ribbon Commission is charged with seeking, understanding, and then presenting comprehensive statewide health care reform options to the General Assembly by November 30, 2007. It will provide specific recommendations to improve the state's health care system by studying and establishing health care reform models that expand health-care coverage and decrease health-care costs for Colorado residents, giving special attention to the uninsured, underinsured, and those at risk of financial hardship due to medical expenses.
Of the 31 proposals submitted by agencies statewide, the commission selected four proposals for further review, which can be viewed on at www.colorado.gov/208commission.
“We at the legislative level are banking a lot on the success of 208,” said Weissmann. “It may not be the ultimate answer, but it's an exciting thing.”
Still, the problem is not just a local one - but nationwide, added Weissmann, who said he is “nervous about small states and counties experimenting” with what works and what doesn't when it comes to health care reform.
“It's a tricky deal, and it's about allocating resources,” Weissmann said. “But we're moving in a good direction Š and with a new executive administration on board, we'll be able to get our heads together and move forward.”
Contact Nicole Danna about this story at (303) 443-6272, ext. 125, or at danna@coloradodaily.com.
Monday, May 21, 2007 8:25 PM MDT
When it comes to establishing a better health care system, what must be the state's priorities, and who is responsible for putting such a plan into action?
Is it the government, the people - or the employers?
These were just a few of the questions thrown around during the Boulder County Forum on Medically Underserved held Monday at the Boulder Court House, where more than 30 of the county's leaders in health, human services and government came together to discuss health-care reform in the state of Colorado.
The panelists included representatives of service providers, hospitals, community health care centers and nonprofits, as well as government officials - including the Boulder County Department of Public Health Director Chuck Stout and state legislators.
All were confronted with the same issue: increasing access to health care for the medically underserved in Boulder County by examining local issues affecting people without adequate insurance.
“The costs of many types of vital health care are astronomical - and for a person with little or no health insurance, paying for even the most basic health care can create an insurmountable financial burden,” said County Commissioner Tom Mayer.
For Susan Levy, executive director to the Boulder Valley Women's Health clinic, one goal should be to focus not on illness care, but preventative health care - to treat the problem before it develops into a costly burden.
“That means focusing more on community education,” said Levy. “Part of the reason people are in the emergency rooms is because they don't know where else they could go.”
Although there is no immediate cost benefit from such a course, the savings will come 10 to 20 years later, when that person is not in the system, said Levy.
Peter Dawson, a pediatrician with the People's Clinic, agreed. According to Dawson, diabetes is an overwhelming issue at the clinic, but could be averted with proper nutritional education.
While education and preventative practices are one way to solve a growing healthcare burden, Levy added there is still a need to delineate who is responsible for funding health care.
“Is it the private sector, the public, or the employers? We need to find where those percentages shake out,” said Levy.
Other panelists agreed funding was an important part of the problem, but added collaboration between the nonprofit health care centers and community hospitals is also in need of improvement.
For Karen Cody, CEO of Dental Aid, a coordination effort is needed to improve how many dentists were on-call to treat the 58,000 impoverished Coloradoans who currently cannot afford dental care. According to Cody, there are fewer than 10 dentists in the county that accept Medicaid, and just fewer than seven dentists currently available to treat that population - just one doctor for 8,500 people.
By not realizing the link between dental and systemic health, Cody said it is increasing the number of people who will need illness care as a result.
Barbara Ryan, Executive Director of the Mental Health Center serving Boulder and Broomfield counties, added the lack of affordable coverage for people who suffer from mental illness is causing a similar situation.
“A challenge for us is pure stigma Š most people don't get treatment because their insurance does not cover it, and the stigma it carries,” said Ryan. “We continue to think mental health is not treatable, but it is.”
The treatment success rate for those suffering from bipolar disorder is 80 percent, while patients suffering from major depression and schizophrenia see a 60 percent success rate when treated.
Without care, however, many people suffering mental illness end up in community emergency rooms where they don't need to be, added Ryan, while others end up in homeless shelters and jails at a far greater cost to the state.
Cody also mentioned the importance of having bilingual health care providers, a sentiment echoed by the majority of panelists, including Stout.
For Stout, one of our county's biggest problems is the growing need for bilingual employees within the health care system.
“We must address this issue,” said Stout. “In Boulder County, we need to find the courage to bring bilinguals into the system.”
For Colorado state legislators Paul Weissmann and Jack Pommer, the Colorado 208 Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform is one positive step in the right direction.
The 24-member Blue Ribbon Commission is charged with seeking, understanding, and then presenting comprehensive statewide health care reform options to the General Assembly by November 30, 2007. It will provide specific recommendations to improve the state's health care system by studying and establishing health care reform models that expand health-care coverage and decrease health-care costs for Colorado residents, giving special attention to the uninsured, underinsured, and those at risk of financial hardship due to medical expenses.
Of the 31 proposals submitted by agencies statewide, the commission selected four proposals for further review, which can be viewed on at www.colorado.gov/208commission.
“We at the legislative level are banking a lot on the success of 208,” said Weissmann. “It may not be the ultimate answer, but it's an exciting thing.”
Still, the problem is not just a local one - but nationwide, added Weissmann, who said he is “nervous about small states and counties experimenting” with what works and what doesn't when it comes to health care reform.
“It's a tricky deal, and it's about allocating resources,” Weissmann said. “But we're moving in a good direction Š and with a new executive administration on board, we'll be able to get our heads together and move forward.”
Contact Nicole Danna about this story at (303) 443-6272, ext. 125, or at danna@coloradodaily.com.
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