| |
Health Care
Health Care Access
The lack of access to quality health care is a major challenge to our community. Our district has been hard hit by rising unemployment (which increases the number of uninsured residents) and by sky-rocketing medical costs. In March, St. John's Hospital on Queens Blvd, a major provider of emergency care in our district, was closed because of government inaction. We now have a recipe for disaster. Elmhurst Hospital, already a overwhelmed facility, is now the sole emergency department in the district. We must improve access to good medical care with new health clinics in our district.
Access to good medical care helps people prevent illnesses, identify health conditions early, and treat health problems. Some conditions can and should be managed regularly outside the hospital. Having a personal doctor, or local health clinic, is a critical component of good health care access. In our district, residents are much more likely to be without a regular doctor than adults in Queens or NYC overall. In addition, Western Queens residents are more likely to go to the Emergency Room when they are sick or need health advnce than those in Queens overall.
Health insurance is important for access to health care. Residents in Western Queens are 60% more likely to be uninsured than those in Queens or New York City overall. In addition to the currently uninsured (35%), another 12% of residents in this community went without health insurance at some time during the past year.
As a community, we must work together to face the challenges of this economic crisis and its impact on health care. We need a change in leadership to produce results, not excuses. I have a plan to open a new health care clinic in our district to alleviate the severe overcrowding problems at Elmhurst Hospital. I will also fight to re-open St. John's Hospital either as a private institution or a public facility. We can not allow a bad situation to get worse. Now is the time for action. Join me in making tomorrow better than today.
|
|
