NEWS

Newsletter: Jan/Feb 2010

The Universal Health Care Committee of NASW-Westchester Division

I retired in October 2007 after working for 26 years in hospital and community health care settings. These years reinforced in greater intensity as time went by, how vital it is for the United States to adopt a universal health care plan. Before retiring, I had begun to do some work for a single payer plan and made it a goal to have advocacy for universal health care a major priority in my retirement. It seemed clear that social workers could play a central role in this effort since so many of us work in medical and mental health settings and use advocacy skills often. We also have an understanding of people’s needs from all strata of society and how this impacts social policy such as health care. I approached the Westchester Division of NASW and was eagerly welcomed to form a committee. We have been extremely fortunate to have Michael Cappiello, LCSW, as a member. Michael is chair of the NASW-New York State Chapter Advocacy and Government Relations Committee and is also chair of the NASW Westchester Division Mental Health Committee.

The path toward health care reform has been arduous in this country. The Westchester Division had a similar committee working toward health care reform years ago, but it has not been active for some time. Its chairperson was very helpful as we began our committee.

Our first meeting was in January 2008. We met at Westchester County Medical Center and were also very fortunate to be joined by medical students from the hospital. As it turned out, their schedules did not allow them to continue meeting with us. However, their interest in health care reform and ideas were very exciting to see and hear as we began our work. Our members are from diverse backgrounds – mental health, alcoholism treatment, and in-patient and community medical care. We also have a nurse on the committee. She has had extensive experience in public health, home care, and other aspects of health care. When we started, we discussed different models of health care delivery and reform, formulated our goals, and were asked after a few months to make a presentation about universal health care at the first general membership meeting in the fall of 2008. Three members of the committee spoke. We named our presentation “What’s Health Care Got to Do with It?” It was enthusiastically received and very relevant for attendees both personally and professionally. We are discussing the possibility of doing another presentation this coming fall to update members on what is occurring currently in the area of health care reform.

A major focus in our work is to study models of health care delivery in this country and in other countries around the world. These include in this country, for example, the single payer-Enhanced and Improved Medicare for All model and state initiatives such as the Massachusetts universal health care plan. A focus of our work will be President
Obama’s health care plan when it is fully articulated. We have contacted local, county, state, and Congressional legislators about health care issues and undoubtedly will have more contact when President Obama’s health care plan goes through the legislative process.

A great deal has happened since our first meeting. There are a number of organizations in our area actively working on attaining universal health care including The League of Women Voters, Physicians for a National Health Program, Health Care
For All New Yorkers, the Access to Health Care Coalition which works closely with HCFANY, and the Westchester Health Care Reform Task Force. Members of our committee attend all of these meetings. This kind of networking has been an important goal in our work. The recent presidential campaign has also generated considerable action regarding health care. Some of our members are involved in these health care related activities that have been started since the election. In our meetings we update each other about the work that is being done by this range of other groups. It is an exciting time of social action.

One of our members suggested that we network with other NASW divisions in New York State who are currently working toward universal health care or would be interested in doing so.

Thus, we come to this article. We want to make contact with other divisions active in health care or wanting to build a program working toward bringing about an equitable, effective universal health care program in this country. A major way we would do this is by teleconferencing.

If interested please contact Ellen Blauner at eblauner@verizon.net or call 914-948-4793.