TORRINGTON, Conn.—The Community Health & Wellness Center, in partnership with McCall Behavioral Health Network, Brooker Memorial and a coalition of regional health and human service partners, hosted a Legislative Roundtable addressing the challenges facing the rural Northwest communities on March 13.
The meeting provided a comprehensive view of the barriers to care that affect many people with an emphasis on the fact that zip codes should not determine a person’s ability to receive health care.
During the session, a range of topics were covered including integrated rural care, workforce recruitment and retention strategies, collective community impact, and challenges to sustainability.
Leading the conversation was Joanne Borduas, CEO at Community Health & Wellness Center, Maria Coutant-Skinner, president and CEO of McCall Behavioral Health Network, and Christina Emery, executive director at Brooker Memorial. Each provided an overview of their organization as well as a description of the operational challenges each faces, and legislative priorities.
“Our missions are founded on ensuring all people are treated regardless of insurance status.” Borduas said. “Healthcare is a right not a privilege and we should be focusing on prevention and access to quality care.”
Shawn Frick, CEO at Community Health Center Association of Connecticut (CHC/ACT) spoke about the 340b Drug pricing program and the impact the absence of this program would have on organizations, and the individuals who benefit from reduced drug prices.
The 340B Drug Pricing Program, established in 1992, requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to sell outpatient drugs at significantly reduced prices (often 25-50 percent off) to safety-net hospitals and clinics serving low-income or uninsured populations. The program allows these entities to stretch limited resources, reduce medication costs for patients, and expand health services without using taxpayer funds.
Deb Polun, the Chief Strategy Officer at CHC/ACT spoke to the issues on the state level that impact Connecticut including Medicaid reimbursement rates and changes to federal guidelines and funding.
In attendance were Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, State Senator Paul Honig, State Representative Maria Horn, State Representative Jillian Gilchrest, State Representative Jay Case, Dr. Mehul Dalal of the Department of Social Services, and a representative from Senator Richard Blumenthal’s office.
“It was important to hear from stakeholders in the rural health community who provide high-quality, reliable care and understand that the obstacles faced by providers and patients in rural areas are vastly different than those in urban areas,” said Hayes. “Expanding access to mental health resources, supporting robust Medicaid reimbursement, and developing the rural healthcare workforce are all essential for delivering care to these communities, and federal policies can do more to support these outcomes.”
Horn pledged to work to protect programs that benefit health programs. “It’s a tremendous battle to watch the federal government spending billions of dollars a day on bombs, when healthcare programs are getting slashed,” she said. “And we’re going to try to protect people as much as we can.”