THE VIEW FROM HERE

Lucie Jensen
Two weeks ago Kurt Hahn published a commentary in this paper
against what he called the Obama health plan. He did so
representing himself as a board member of The North Sonoma County
Hospital District, which includes Healdsburg. If he was speaking
for the district board shame on them. If he was speaking for
himself shame on him for not making that clear.
Everyone has a right to express their own opinion. They do not
have the right by innuendo and inference to make statements that
have no basis in fact and to imply they have validity by issuing
such phrases as “those who initiated electronic medical records
many years ago report major gains in patients but minimal savings.”
This statement is especially interesting because Mr. Hahn not only
fails to report who those institutions are but apparently is
unaware of the mailing sent out to patients of Healdsburg Primary
Care this past week. In part the letter states “Primary Care has
joined with Healdsburg District Hospital…” “It will also give us
access to state-of-the-art medical services, including an advanced
electronic Medical Records system, allowing quicker access to
reports, specialists consultations, and on-line labs and x-ray
results.”
For Mr. Hahn’s information I suggest he study the efficiency of
using electronic medical records, and the saving derived in human
lives as well as medical cost, at Kaiser and the famed Mayo Clinic.
Thankfully, someone concerned with our hospital district did.
What I find so unconscionable about Mr. Hahn’s commentary is he
completely ignores the fact that we have over 45,000,000,000 people
in this country without health insurance. He equates having car
insurance with having health insurance… We are the only Western
Industrial Nation that does not provide some kind of universal
health care for its citizens. It is the height of hypocrisy to say
we need health care reform when you are using your dialogue as a
platform to put forth your political views and to protect the
outrageous profits of the health insurance companies.
For at least the past forty years the Republican Party has been
given ample opportunity to step forward with health care reform,
their response so far has been,” Just Say No”.
Health care should not be a political party issue. It is a human
right. What has happened to us? Have we lost sight of our humanity
and compassion for the human condition? It is time for everyone
especially those most closely associated with health care to step
forward with their best efforts to solve this devastating problem.
It is not going to get better by waiting in fact it is getting
worse every day. We need action now.
Lucie Jensen is a Healdsburg resident.