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Article published - May 24, 2008
Credit: PRESS DEMOCRAT
BUDGET CUTS
EDITOR: As a member of the board of directors of the West County Health Centers, I want to assure the public that we take all kinds of patients, from people with the best available health insurance to those with no insurance.
Our providers are top-notch doctors, nurses and support staff who want their patients to establish one-on-one relationships with their chosen providers. We operate below the median average for both cost per visit and (unfortunately) provider compensation.
Therefore the challenge we face is our ability to attract, retain and adequately compensate qualified providers. With the cost of living in Sonoma County and the 10 percent proposed cuts in medical reimbursements, it will make the challenge even more daunting.
As more and more doctors move away from Sonoma County or just give up and retire early due to the lack of compensation for the services they provide, we cannot accept the governor planning even more cuts to health care providers, including cuts to community health centers such as the West County Health Centers, which already operate at the bottom of the economic scale.
Write to the governor and your state representatives, and implore them to restore the cuts they intend to make. The health of us all is at stake.
DAVID R. WRIGHT Guerneville
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