One hand washing the other?

Tonight the Northern Shenandoah Valley Save Our Services coalition met at the former CDC offices to discuss with the State Health Department representatives the ways we can work together to get the funding back to this area for a local Child Development Clinic.

We were very pleased with the turnout on our side of the table. The NSVSOS committee was joined by:

• Concerned Citizens and Parents
• The Winchester CDC Personnel
• Frederick County Department of Social Services
• Frederick County School Board
• Lord Fairfax Health District

We were especially fortunate to have Senator Jill Vogels legislative assistant Tricia Stiles with us as well as Candidate for the 29th District Delegate seat Larry Yates .

Everyone in our group brought up some very good points tonight! Questions were posed to the staff in Richmond, but most (if not all) went unanswered.

1. What is JMUs capacity for seeing and evaluating children at their facility? How many per month are they able to serve?
2. What is the current backlog of appointments?
3. What is the expected wait for children on that backlog?
4. Because of their increased caseload, how has the budget at JMU increased? How much of the money that was originally earmarked for the Winchester CDC did they end up with?
5. Being as JMU has refused the patient files that are housed at the Winchester CDC, what will happen to them? Who will administer these files if there were ever a need for them by the patient/family in question?
6. What do we have to do in order to be involved throughout the year and especially at contract renewal time?
7. What is JMUs transition plan?
8. What is JMU doing to solicit their service to children and providers in this area?
9. How will emergency appointments be handled?

Not one of these questions were answered tonight. Either due to bureaucratic red tape or a lack of preparedness... we were left with questions. Speaking of bureaucratic red tape, a phone call with a request to encourage JMU to communicate had to be run up the chain of command flagpole... at the expense of never calling me back.

As for JMU, our initial attempts to contact the Harrisonburg Clinic were met with less than savory results. I'm not sure why. Thankfully, another representative from JMU contacted NSVSOS Vice Chairman Cassie Phipps Purtlebaugh and extended an olive branch.

I would love to have them drive up from JMU and sit in on all of our future meetings. Its their job, right? They'd surely be paid for it. As a matter of fact, I am publicly requesting their physical presence at the next meetings! I would love to meet them personally and shake their hands! Get to know them, and have them get to know the parents of children affected by the loss of our CDC. I think it would be an eye opening experience for everybody! Of course, if the trip up here is too inconvenient, I'd be happy with a conference call.
Candidate Larry Yates brought up something interesting... The Virginia State Rural Health Plan . This plan, which the State Health Department has a hand in, has recommendations from their "Access Council":

Access to quality, affordable and accessible health care services is essential and should be an expectation of all rural residents. Access must not be limited solely to primary and acute care, but must include a greater integration of mental/behavioral health, EMS, dental/oral health, telehealth, women’s health services, preventive care and health promotion and education.

 Sounds like a great idea to me! Where does the CDC fit in to that plan? That leads me back to the title of this blog. Kinda seems like one hand isn't washing the other, don't ya think?

One last thing. Ever since our first meeting with the State about the CDC, we have been mentioning their budget and how it would be great to see it. I even asked for it in my email response to Cynthia Romero on June 2nd. So... let me make it crystal clear

I WANT TO SEE THE VIRGINIA STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT BUDGET FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS

Pretty Please
With sugar on top
;-) (winky face)
Thank You.