Let's restore our local healthcare options and access

Healthcare resources are being pulled from our area, but not by our local doctors and hospital administrators, but instead by healthcare decision makers in major cities like Pittsburgh who have never even visited our area and who don't understand our needs. We need to back our local healthcare professionals and help get the power back into their hands to make local decisions for our local population.

The local VA Clinic in Wellsboro still does not have a permanent doctor, and instead there  is a rotation of doctors seeing patients. Dr. Trostle, the previous doctor, knew  every one of her patients, and she not only met their needs but she also exceeded what was expected. We will create opportunities for the VA and UPMC  along with our other local healthcare networks to partner with community  care to continue giving our veterans the care they need and working together  to bring a full time permanent doctor to the VA clinic.

Charity Care is under used in our area due to lack of  information about its availability and also because some people not comfortable accepting Charity Care. With more information about assistance programs, better access, and support for enrolling, we can get quality healthcare to many local residents who currently go untreated.

Payments from Medicare are a large part of our local healthcare network,  normally reimbursed to hospitals at 76 cents on the dollar, but due to  our area being a critical care area Medicare reimburses hospitals at over 100%, reimbursing hospitals on average average $1.26 on the dollar charged. You hear remarks stating that hospitals are losing money in our area, and some use that false claim as an excuse to shut down programs, reduce days the operating rooms are open and even close doors to clinics and hospitals. These are lies coming from the executives at healthcare organizations in big  cities, while our local healthcare administrators struggle to make things work with what they have.

I'll work for you to restore our local healthcare options and improve access for individuals, families and veterans.