Just sent an email to the VDH

It's been two weeks and no one has gotten back to us after the meeting. Optimism is like snow... it can be laid on thick, but when things get heated, it doesn't last long.

Greetings,

I wanted to thank you for taking the time to listen to us 2 weeks ago about the Winchester CDC closure. I'm curious at to when our next meeting will be. We have some very promising ideas and look forward to implementing them and keeping our essential services here in our community.

We have become aware of several issues and inefficiencies of the JMU model and would like to being that to your attention as well.

Time is of the essence in this matter. The children in this area need the help which the CDC provides. I'm sure that if it were your children needing the services provided, you would want action and results as well.

That being the case, let's act in the best interest of the children in the Lord Fairfax Health District and keep the services where they are supposed to be... locally!

I look forward to your timely response.

Jack Starry

www.NSVAR.org
Facebook.com/NSVAR
NSVAR.blogspot.com

Just to catch you up on NSVAR News...

I know its been a while since I have posted a blog. Nothing has really happened since my meeting with Dr. Devine and Sidnee' Dallas from the Department of Health. I'm going to start pushing the issue again this week.

I'll tell you what has frustrated me, though... I had contacted all the local news agencies at the beginning of this fight and the response was mixed. Hattie Cheek at TV3 Winchester, Hayley Mason at WHAG News and Kim Walter at The Northern Virginia Daily really took interest and have done a wonderful job keeping the issue of the Child Development Clinic in the news. They truly care for the children and families in our area who are impacted by the closing. I also will be working with Dan McDermott at the Frederick County Report. to get our story out to even more people!

The Winchester Star... thats another story. Rebecca Layne had interviewed me at the very beginning and put a small article in the paper. They havent wanted to touch it since. We have made great strides in this fight! A petition with almost 7,000 signatures! The backing of a state senator! I emailed and called to ask why they havent been covering it since... the response I got was basically to call them when something big happens. Really? Closing the CDC is the BIG and BAD thing we are fighting to prevent! I would hope that a community news outlet would take some initiative and work FOR their community!

Its disappointing, to say the least.

On the opposite side of that coin, I have been honored to know and become friends with some amazing people in our community as a result of this struggle as well as strengthen my friendships with others! I think I have become a better person during all this. I've had my head so deep into NSVAR and the CDC that maybe I haven't shown the appropriate amount of appreciation. "Godmother", we truly love ya! You are our family now! Shelley D., we are so proud to know you better and consider you our close friend! Your support and willingness to speak out with me for the CDC has been so wonderful! Sharon H. We are glad to know you, glad to fight alongside you for the CDC and I'm especially glad to know that your little guy got what he needed! I look forward to our growing friendship! Senator Vogel, I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds by calling you a friend... but your support has been invaluable! It gives weight and credibility to what we are fighting for. I value and appreciate you! (Almost called you just "Jill" on the phone last time... no disrespect intended madam Senator!)

Oh! Hey! We have had some car decals made with the NSVAR logo! Want to help spread the word?

My van rocking the NSVAR goodness!

Pretty cool, huh? They were made by Alyson at http://www.ososplendid.com/ and they are beautiful! (Check her site out... A lot of really cool and creative gift ideas to be found there!)
They are $7.00 each. That covers my cost to have them made, and whatever postage I need to send them out. I can mail them anywhere in the US. You can reach me at nsvar.org@gmail.com , www.nsvar.org , www.facebook.com/nsvar or www.twitter.com/nsvar if you are interested in getting one.

Appreciative

Today the "Godmother" and I met with Dr. Charles Devine at the Winchester CDC. We were joined on conference call with Sidnee' Dallas from the Virginia Department of Health.

The meeting was very productive, and only the first of many. We are brainstorming to find a way to keep services local.

I am thankful for Dr. Devines time, Mrs. Dallas' time and especially thankful to "The Godmother" (but sure if I can say who yet) for taking part today. Looking forward to involving some area movers and shakers in the next meetings!

I'm hopeful. Very hopeful...

Things are looking up!

Remember MY LAST POST ??? Well... Doctor Charles Devine, Director of the Lord Fairfax Health District, called me today and I am meeting him tomorrow afternoon!!!!

From what I gather by the letter in my previous blog and what he said to me, I am being directly involved in the decision making process!

I have some ideas... And I plan to do all I can to keep the CDC services local. This will involve me, people in our area who are willing to participate in the "Brainstorm" and people from the Department of Health in Richmond.

I asked in my last blog and I am asking you now more than ever... Please give me any and all ideas you may have about how we can keep the CDC in our area!!! No idea is too far fetched!

PLEASE HELP ME HELP THE CHILDREN IN OUR AREA WHO NEED THE CDC!!!

I can be reached at:

www.nsvar.org

www.facebook.com/nsvar

www.twitter.com/nsvar

or here... just leave a comment at the bottom of this blog post!

Response from the VDH Commissioner

Today I received a response to the email I had sent last week to the Virginia Department of Health:

Mr. Jack Starry

nsvar.org@gmail.com

This is in reply to your recent email to Dr. Kalanges, Sidnee Dallas and me regarding the closure of the child development clinic (CDC) in Winchester. Thank you for expressing your concerns and raising specific issues regarding access to services for children with special healthcare needs.

We live in challenging times as fiscal resources continue to decline while the burden of important health issues in our children remain the same or even worsen. As Commissioner, I find that the decisions facing VDH are only becoming more difficult with few good answers. Despite that challenge I remain committed to assuring quality service to those in need. To that end, despite the shrinking resources, we continue to work to be sure a quality Child Development Clinic service can continue in each region of the Commonwealth. We realize this represents a change particularly for families already challenged by the issues they face; however, I have directed our staff to work with you to determine how, together, we can lessen the impact of financial limitations we all face.

In response to your correspondence, VDH management has again reviewed plans involving the Winchester CDC in depth but determined that the date of closure for the clinic cannot be changed at this time. VDH recognizes that this closure may cause additional challenges for families in your community. As a result, VDH staff is researching other options we may be able to offer these families to facilitate their utilization of CDC services.

I greatly appreciate your sincere interest and dedication to this matter. I have directed Dr. Charles Devine, Director of the Lord Fairfax Health District, to contact you in order to schedule a personal meeting to discuss this issue further and elicit your input. You can expect to hear from Dr. Devine in the very near future. Please feel free to contact him at (540) 722-3480 or at charles.devine@vdh.virginia.gov.

Cynthia Romero, MD, FAAFP

State Health Commissioner

Virginia Department of Health

109 Governor Street

Richmond, Virginia 23219
____________________________________

I fully plan on meeting with Dr. Devine and work to keep these services local.

What options do you feel are viable? What would work for you to ensure the best possible care for your special loved one? Please respond here or email me at nsvar.org@gmail.com and let me know!

Help... and a lack thereof

I've been plugging away at this fight for the CDC. I've spoken to Senator Jill Vogel on several occasions about it and I've also been in contact with Hattie Cheek from TV3 Winchester.

I sometimes wonder what I should be doing now... I emailed the VDH Commissioner, as well as the director of Family Health Services. Twice. They haven't responded to me yet. I'm working on that one...(wink wink)

I received a short letter from Representative Frank Wolf. Click it to view a larger image

 

No help. Kinda disappointing, isn't it?

Well... I did kinda get lucky last friday. I called the office of Family Health Services and fully expected to get Dr. Laurie Kalanges assistant or secretary. A man answered and I asked to speak to Dr. Kalanges. He told me that he did not know how to transfer calls, so he gave me the number to her desk!

Here it is:

Dr. Laurie Kalanges

Director of Family Health Services

Virginia Department of Health

(804) 864-7170

Call early, call often!

I REALLY NEED YOUR HELP. I can only do so much by myself. I am begging you to pick up the phone and tell Dr. Kalanges how important the CDC is to you, your children, your friends children and the community!

I see why the budget cuts were made!

READ THIS ARTICLE

Look 16 lines down in the article...

Cynthia Romero, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Health is making...

$181,500.00 a year!!!

No wonder they needed to make budget cuts!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, your children will need to suffer so this state employee can buy another Mercedes!

Wow...

Just wow.

Looking Good!

Check out our vinyl window decal for our van! Awesome!

www.ososplendid.com took our custom design and made it for us!

Wanna show your support? Let us know! We can hook you up with an NSVAR decal!

Last Fridays WHAG News spot

For some reason, WHAG did not post the video from the news story... Here's the transcript of the story:

BOYCE, VA - Jack Starry and his wife Mary work around the clock to care for their son JT, who has autism. He works just as hard in his fight to keep the state from closing the Winchester Child Development Clinic for good. 

"Why was there no other fat in their budget and they decided to go for the Child Development Clinic," Starry questions.

Starry's petition against the closing has gained more than 6,800 signatures. The Virginia Department of Health has responded and they are standing behind their decision.

"This statement here does not address any of the concerns that we put forth on the petition," Starry says of the VDH's response.

In a statement to WHAG, Dr. Lauri Kalanges, the director of family health services for the Virginia Department of Health says that tight funding contributed to the decision to close the Winchester office. She says the VDH found that contractors were able to see more children than local CDC's partly because they have more "flexibility in staffing and in tailoring the evaluation to the specific needs of each child." After evaluating different models she says the VDH "determined that the program goals of serving as many children as possible and identifying children with developmental delays as young as possible would be best served by transitioning to a contractor-based model."  

"I'm going to be contacting her directly, Dr. Lauri Kalanges, and figure out what can be done," Starry says. "How we can change this? I'm going to ask her about the logistics of absorbing so many CDC's to be seen at JMU. How they're going to be able to see more children, taking on so many different case loads from so many different areas? When you take more case loads, you're bogging yourself down. You're not opening yourself to be more productive." 

Starry also has the support of local state Senator Jill Vogel, (R-27th district). She says in a phone interview nothing is more important to her than keeping the local CDC open. 

"For those who would argue that this is a resource matter and moving it geographically, that is not undermining people's access to the services, that couldn't be farther from the truth," Vogel says. "If you make it so that it is not accessible, many many families won't be able to travel." 

Vogel says she plans to fight with Starry to change the decision and keep services local. 

_______________________________________________________________________

If you got the chance to read my last blog, you will see my response to the Department of Health... And I STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN A RESPONSE!!!

My response to the VDH

In my previous blog post, I uploaded the response I got from the Virginia Department of Health. <--- click to see it.

Below is my response. Along with the addressees mentioned below, it was also sent to 3 different news outlets, Senator Jill Vogel and Delegate Beverly Sherwood.

Tell me what you think in the comments section below this blog post...



Greetings Dr. Kalanges , Mrs. Dallas and Commissioner Romero,

I received the response to the petition with over 5800 signatures at the time of printing (currently over 6800) that was sent to you recently. To be honest, I was disappointed that NONE of the issues mentioned in the petition cover letter were addressed. I was hoping for some clarity on the matter.

1) "In conducting an evaluation of our services, we determined that virtually all of the children seen have some form of insurance; Medicaid, FAMIS, or commercial insurance."

That is a statement which has no bearing to the issues presented. Agreed, alot of the families have some sort of coverage for their children... that's how they got to the CDC in the first place! Medicaid covered the testing/evaluation for my sons DD Waiver eval. It doesn't change the fact that families needing these services in the future will need to A) Take 3 entire days off of work to make the trips to Harrisonburg for the 3 needed visits. Gas expense, loss of 3 days wages, specialized child care for TWO of the three days are all to be included in that concern. B) The potential trauma to the patient in question. A lengthy trip down, 6 hours (conservatively) of evaluation and then a lengthy trip back. Uncomfortable and exhausting for a NT (neurotypical) person. TRAUMATIC for people with special needs.

2) "We also found that our contractors were seeing significantly more children, when compared with the local health department Child Development Evaluation model."

Less centers + absorption of multiple CDCs to those already overburdened centers = longer waiting lists and even more so overburdened centers. How can this be more efficient? More people in less centers doesn't make sense at all from an efficiency standpoint.

3) "As the funding for programs has tightened, VDH has been identifying opportunities to continue to meet pediatric developmental needs in the most efficient and cost-effective manner."

The most pressing question about that statement is this: It is known that the VDH was told to make budget cuts, but not HOW and WHERE to make such cuts. Why did you go for special needs children? What was passed over in favor of the CDCs? I'm hoping that your budget for the past few years is a matter of public record, because I would most certainly like to see it. Additionally, the families which have no choice but to find a way down to JMU may be utilizing Logisticare. So... medicaid will be billing the VDH (your budget) to either A) pay for gas OR B) pay for gas AND the driver provided thru Logisticare AND maintenance on the vehicles. And C) potentially pay for lodging. Not to mention your "private contractors" who almost certainly dont fall under the state employee pay scale. I'd be willing to bet that they earn a bit more than state employees. Apparently, what you are "saving in the front end, you are paying for in the back end"

So, here is what closing the CDC will REALLY accomplish: Blue collar families who CAN'T afford the time-off/gas/specialized child care will NOT BE ABLE go to Harrisonburg to have their children evaluated. These children will not be able to receive the essential services needed to help them grow to be capable / well adjusted / productive citizens of this state. You are potentially ruining the future for numerous children and adults in the state of Virginia, and the lives of their families as well.

Please keep in mind that these closures impact A LOT of people. Intellectually Disabled as well as Developmentally Disabled. ALL wonderful people and ALL deserving of an opportunity to improve/grow/participate in their communities. Closing the CDC will keep that from happening for many.

The good part is that YOU have the power and the opportunity to fix that. I'm certain that you made these initial changes, not knowing the adverse effect it would have upon the population. And I'm doubly certain you would NEVER want to negatively impact special needs children and adults. Am I correct? I sincerely hope so.

I appreciate your time and eagerly await your response!

Friends and Enemies...

While I was in the hospital a few days ago, I was contacted by WHAG reporter Hayley Mason. She had contacted the Virginia Department of Health and told them that she wanted a response to the petition I had sent to them. She informed them that wether they responded or not, she would do the story. The body of that response is on my previous blog <--- click to read it. She also came to my home and got my response to the VDH statement... Click to read the WHAG news story

Today, I received my response from them:

CLICK TO ENLARGE

junk, huh? Doesn't even come close to addressing the issues laid out in the petition! They will be hearing from me, you can take that to the bank! Want to speak out with me??? The contact info at the bottom of that letter is Sidnee Dallas, 804-864-7716 and Sidnee.Dallas@vdh.virginia.gov

On the other end of that spectrum... Delegate Beverly Sherwood sent a letter thanking me for personally delivering the petition, and enclosed a copy of a letter she sent to the Commissioner of the VDH. 

How's that for awesome???

If you read the WHAG news story I linked at the top of this blog, you will see that Senator Jill Vogel chimed in, defending the CDC and throwing her hat into the ring to fight for us!

If you are having difficulty reading these letters, you can find them in the photo albums on NSVARs Facebook Page

I am very thankful for the support shown by Senator Vogel and Delegate Sherwood! And I certainly hope the families affected by the CDC closure are as well! 

GOOD DEEDS DO NOT GO UN-NOTICED!!!