What HCDP Stands For

by Stan Merriman

Our party platform calls for excellent healthcare provided to all, irrespective of social or financial status. Our fellow Democrats in Harris County, documented by HCDP research, place healthcare at or near the top of the “list” of local needs to be fulfilled by the Harris County healthcare establishment and governmental agencies providing health services.

According to an April 2012 story published by the Houston Chronicle regarding a new Robert Woods Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin study Harris County ranks 53^rd out of 254 Texas counties on health outcomes. Such factors as premature death and chronic illness drove Harris County’s ranking further down to # 160. Analysts observe that a key factor in better rankings found in nearby suburban counties is the education level of citizens; the better educated, the healthier people are according to their data, though close family support is shown to improve longevity.

The HCDP County Executive Committee passed a resolution in late 2011 challenging the healthcare community, in particular the Texas Medical Center, to address the issue of over 1 million Houstonians without healthcare, though this is the home of two medical schools, nursing schools and a generous tax exemption for dozens of not-for-profit healthcare providers tasked with providing charity care to such populations to earn their tax exemptions. Such remedial services would be intended to bridge health care needs until the full force of the Affordable Care Act is implemented by 2014. After all, there are many doctors in our area that understand and support the Affordable Care Act.

The HCDP Communications Committee was recently urged by our Party Chair Lane Lewis to recruit a group of physicians and other medical providers among our local Democrats to begin working with key leadership in the TMC in creating a series of free screening clinics to triage underserved county citizens into channels to receive needed medical care. Interested providers should contact Egberto@hcdp.org to offer their engagement in this project.