|
|
|
| League of Women Voters, Lincoln County, OR | |
|
|
Studies
1. Child Health in Lincoln County: Why a study on child health in Lincoln
County? (And What is a “study”
anyway?) Is
there adequate health care in Lincoln County? Four
years ago the adequacy of health services in Lincoln County was being
questioned by the community and by our own LWVLC. The
LWVLC board proposed at the annual meeting in 2001 that a study on
health care should be done.
As we started exploring
what was happening in health care, one of the first things we learned
from David Bigelow, CEO of Samaritan
Pacific
Communities Hospital was that a
Community Health Improvement Partnership group in Lincoln County had
been established and was examining this issue, also.
As
health care was discussed at our meetings, it was decided by the Board
and our membership to narrow our topic of study to “child
health”.
Children represent
one-fifth (9555) of the population of Lincoln County (44,700). Why
a study?
Studies occur as
issues/conditions are identified which may be detrimental to the
population.
The LWV has a mission
of education and advocacy that naturally requires research of issues
which affect the well-being of the citizens. Looking
at the LWVUS website you will find a whole section on “Creating
a Just Society” - “Part
of the mission of the League of Women Voters is to promote social and
economic justice, secure equal rights for all, achieve universal health
care coverage at reasonable cost, promote the well being of children,
and combat discrimination, poverty and violence.”
The
LWVLC board and the membership at the 2003 annual meeting defined the
scope of the LWVLC child health study. Studies
are usually completed by a committee and involve gathering
data/research through conducting interviews and reviewing relevant
documents, and then presenting this information to the board and the
membership. At our next meeting, January 20th,
information that has been gathered on child health in Lincoln County
will be presented to you in preparation for you, as the membership, to
come to a consensus and position statement on child health at our
annual meeting in April, 2005. Consensus
on a position will then allow us to advocate for whatever action may be
needed to assure adequate health care to children in Lincoln County. Martha
Holmberg
|
