The uninsured and our community

By Michael A. Anaya, Sr., FACHE

A month ago, I had the privilege of addressing the Webb County Commissioners Court and discussing the topic of the uninsured and our community and my desire to fashion a multidisciplinary team of local members that would focus on developing a viable program that would assist the 35 percent of Laredoans without health insurance.

Healthcare in itself is a complex and often misunderstood industry. Add to this equation the indigent, the undocumented, malpractice, federal and state regulatory requirements, staffing shortages, over-utilization of the emergency department, shortage in specialty physicians, Medicaid cutbacks, and potential cuts in the State Children's Health Insurance Program funding, etc., and you have a formula that in itself would create a potential explosion. Our challenge is to sharpen understanding, focus on the uninsured, and create a local program that will strengthen the ability to provide access to the high-quality healthcare available in Laredo .

I was quite elated to note that a team had already been established by Commissioner Judith Gutierrez. The Webb County Partners for Healthcare Access committee had evidently been created over a year ago to address this issue. As Commissioner Gutierrez shared with the court the scope of the committee and its efforts, I was quite aware that there were physicians and representatives in the court from various local healthcare organizations who were listening intently as well.

I applaud the effort and know that becoming an agent of change is quite difficult. There is no doubt, the scope of the issue of our uninsured population and their health needs can be overwhelming. However, the fact remains that the healthcare needs of our community clearly impact how health providers will do business in the future. I believe that health providers (hospitals as well as the local medical field) must get involved in the process of interacting with key stakeholders in our community on this issue and how to address it together. I am awaiting Commissioner Gutierrez's call to re-energize this committee so that we can dissect the issue, investigate options, and collaboratively enact change. These efforts must inevitably enhance access to care for challenged populations, develop forecasting tools that identify changes on the horizon, and seek alternative models that allow for better management of an increasingly complex population of patients.

It is important to recognize the county's effort; however, this is a dynamic exercise where we must involve the voices of affected sectors including local government, public and private health providers, community-based agencies, and the uninsured themselves. By developing this partnership, the intent would be to separate organizational "self-interest" from that of embracing true community service.

(Michael A. Anaya, Sr., is chief executive officer of Doctors Hospital of Laredo.)