Well, this is a step out of my comfort zone, and definitely not subject matter that I normally include in this blog. Please ignore the article if you are not interested. Here’s a second blog post about my campaign. Here is a link to a candidate forum that contrasts me with my opponent.
If you live in the northern part of Lake County, Florida, I hope you will read on. I am running for office, specifically, Seat One in the North Lake Hospital District. This district is a special taxing district. If you look at your tax bill, you will notice a LESS THAN ONE MILLAGE POINT tax item for the Hospital District. This small tax helps fund indigent care in North Lake County.
in 2016, District residents voted to retain this special taxing district by a large margin (59% of residents approved the measure to retain the District until 2027). They recognized the value that the District provides to all residents of the District. When people receive quality primary care in local clinics, they are not forced to seek that care in hospital emergency departments. This reduces the cost of care, improves the health of the community, and incidentally, reduces wait times in the emergency department.
Here are my answers to some questions recently asked of District candidates:
- In which community/professional organizations have you been active?
- Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, Inc. (HIMSS)
- East Lake County Chamber of Commerce
- Relay for Life
- MyExquisiteFlorida.com
- Florida Master Naturalist Program
- Florida Native Plant Society
- League of Environmental Educators in Florida
- What experiences and skills qualify you for this position?
As a project manager, data analyst, and research coordinator for AdventHealth, I can examine the services delivered to District members and I understand the importance of multiple stakeholders to complex systems.
As a business skills instructor, assistant to a court administrator, and coordinator of an adult literacy program, I understand the needs of the community and people who live on the margins. I know that affordability is a component of accessibility.
As a naturalist, I have developed an eye for detail and an appreciation for the interdependence of all life. Healthy communities allow us to fully experience life as we were created to do. What benefits the disenfranchised among us improves the quality of community for us all, and the District contributes to the health of the community ecosystem.
My commitment to this District’s ability to assist our healthcare providers to provide quality, accessible healthcare to residents of the district is unparalleled.
- What criteria would you use to determine the allocation of funds to the various hospitals and clinics in the County?
The District publishes data on how many people have received District-funded care and how many dollars have been spent on that care. From that data, we know that primary care offered in the outpatient clinics is much less expensive than hospital care. We also know that delayed outpatient care can result in more expensive inpatient care with diminished outcomes. I would encourage allocation first toward primary care delivered at outpatient clinics situated in the areas of highest need, followed by outpatient specialty care, and finally inpatient hospital care. These allocations should always be made with an eye to quality, accessible healthcare that makes the most of our tax dollars.
While not a responsibility of a Board member, I would use my position to address social determinants of health which disproportionally impact our poorest citizens, trapping them in a cycle of delayed care leading to complicated health issues and denying them the advantages of the medical home model of care.
- How could the Board, hospitals and clinics encourage indigent patients to use clinics, instead of hospital emergency room?
Public information offices of the County, municipalities within the district, and health care systems could provide fliers explaining the importance of primary care and where free and sliding-scale services are offered. These could be placed in areas such as churches, libraries, employment centers, thrift stores, and schools. PSAs can be prepared and provided to media outlets.
However, I strongly feel that no one chooses to receive care in an emergency room if primary care is accessible. This accessibility, a social determinant of health, must be addressed. Transportation, another social determinant of health, poses problems for many uninsured. However, it is not in the Board’s current scope to provide ancillary services such as transportation vouchers, and ambulances are only able to transport patients to emergency rooms, not clinics. This suggests to me that transportation is one area to look at if the legislation governing the district is changed in the future.
Paid for and authorized by Pamela Jennelle, Democrat candidate for North Lake County Hospital District, Seat One