Comments on: Where Massachusetts Succeeds: Community-Based Workers Are Key To Health Care Reform” by Meg Kroeplin and Johanna Bates http://commonhealth.wbur.org/guest-contributors/2009/03/where-massachusetts-succeeds-community-based-workers-are-key-to-health-care-reform-by-meg-kroeplin-and-johanna-bates/ CommonHealth Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:36:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Connie Burak http://commonhealth.wbur.org/guest-contributors/2009/03/where-massachusetts-succeeds-community-based-workers-are-key-to-health-care-reform-by-meg-kroeplin-and-johanna-bates/comment-page-1/#comment-8448 Connie Burak Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:43:32 +0000 http://commonhealth.wbur.org/?p=1111#comment-8448 After reading Kroeplin's and Bates' blog today, it seems unequivocally evident that we cannot afford health care reform without community outreach. Particulalry as we look for the benificent results and cost-saving factors of preventive medical care, without community outreach, we are destined to waste millions if not billions of dollars by creating a six-cylinder engine that only runs on two cylinders. The programs conceived in this current movement for health care reform are based and will be funded on the notion that we all are better off if we can decrease infant mortality, reduce the increasingly larger segments of the population who suffer from diabetes, early stroke, preventable cancers and the like. But if the reforms are not implemented in a way that ultimately approaches universality, then we are doomed. If the objectives of reform fail our entire society will seriously suffer in so many ways. Community outreach is a truly essential means to successful reform and must be a key component of any genuine revamping of our health care system. After reading Kroeplin’s and Bates’ blog today, it seems unequivocally evident that we cannot afford health care reform without community outreach.
Particulalry as we look for the benificent results and cost-saving factors of preventive medical care, without community outreach, we are destined to waste millions if not billions of dollars by creating a six-cylinder engine that only runs on two cylinders.
The programs conceived in this current movement for health care reform are based and will be funded on the notion that we all are better off if we can decrease infant mortality, reduce the increasingly larger segments of the population who suffer from diabetes, early stroke, preventable cancers and the like. But if the reforms are not implemented in a way that ultimately approaches universality, then we are doomed. If the objectives of reform fail our entire society will seriously suffer in so many ways.
Community outreach is a truly essential means to successful reform and must be a key component of any genuine revamping of our health care system.

]]> By: Michael DeChiara http://commonhealth.wbur.org/guest-contributors/2009/03/where-massachusetts-succeeds-community-based-workers-are-key-to-health-care-reform-by-meg-kroeplin-and-johanna-bates/comment-page-1/#comment-8447 Michael DeChiara Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:07:41 +0000 http://commonhealth.wbur.org/?p=1111#comment-8447 As always Community Partners is the voice for the many people across the state who daily help make access to health care a reality. It remains essential that we remind policy makers that hard-fought ideas and vision still need to be implemented on the ground. This is what outreach workers do - with compassion, perserverance and expertise. They are truly the experts in making the system work. Thank you to Community Partners for continuing to raise up the voices of outreach workers. AND THANK YOU to the many dedicated, professionals in communities across the state who provide outreach and enrollment assistance so that our leaders can claim success. The next challenge is for Massachusetts to institutionalize the vital role of community engagement as part of the health care system. As always Community Partners is the voice for the many people across the state who daily help make access to health care a reality. It remains essential that we remind policy makers that hard-fought ideas and vision still need to be implemented on the ground. This is what outreach workers do – with compassion, perserverance and expertise. They are truly the experts in making the system work.

Thank you to Community Partners for continuing to raise up the voices of outreach workers. AND THANK YOU to the many dedicated, professionals in communities across the state who provide outreach and enrollment assistance so that our leaders can claim success.

The next challenge is for Massachusetts to institutionalize the vital role of community engagement as part of the health care system.

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