Helping Those In Need
It was once said that the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly and those who are in the shadows of life-the sick, the needy and the handicapped.
--Hubert Humphrey, former Vice President and U.S. Senator
The county is a source of care and of hope to many people who need a helping hand. Infants, students, the working poor, seniors and others have come to depend on the services it provides. Unfortunately, the majority of these programs are mainly supported with money provided by the state. This has meant reductions in some services, and elimination of others. The county simply doesn't have the resources to take over what's been lost. The county commissioners have been, and must continue to be, advocates before the public and in the halls of state government for children, the poor, the sick and elderly--those whose voices too often go unheard Four years ago, I said. "I can't promise miracles, but I can promise that as a commissioner I will be a vocal and tireless advocate for the needs of these people." Today, I think we've made some encouraging steps, but there is much more to do.
I am very proud that a project launched before I became commissioner came to fruition in the past couple of years--the launch of our Federally Qualified health Center. This began with an effort to stabilize funding for our four school-based health centers, located at Taft, Toledo, Newport and Waldport high schools. We were successful in obtaining a three-year, $650,000 federal grant that not only provides funding for the student health centers but has also allowed the county to offer primary health care to adults for the first time.
Our clinics are located at the Devils Lake Office Park in Lincoln City and the 1010 building in Newport. They are not free clinics, but sliding scale clinics. Fees are based on ability to pay, with a mimimum of $25 per visit requested, but those who can't manage that amount will not be turned away. In the first full year of operation, the school and public clinics served 5,342 Lincoln County residents, and 53 percent of them were without health insurance of any kind. Our health care crisis demands solutions at the state and national level, but I am proud we are able to make a difference right here, right now.
As I continue to update this section, I will expand on my work on behalf of veterans, children, seniors, those battling addictions, and the homeless.
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