Editorial: Health Care Help - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Editorial: Health Care Help

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  • Editorials

  • Tuesday, May 21 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-21 23:20:08 GMT
    The horrific tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma this week bring back all too familiar memories for Alabamians as memories of April 27, 2011 are still fresh in many minds. When Alabamians were in need
    The horrific tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma this week bring back all too familiar memories for Alabamians as memories of April 27, 2011 are still fresh in many minds. When Alabamians were in need

  • Thursday, May 16 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-16 23:20:04 GMT
    In my editorial on Tuesday I chided our legislators for being the last state to pass a no-brainer  bill legalizing home brewing.  Today I want to challenge them to be one of the first states to pass another no-brainer;
    In my editorial on Tuesday I chided our legislators for being the last state to pass a no-brainer  bill legalizing home brewing.  Today I want to challenge them to be one of the first states to pass another no-brainer;

  • Tuesday, May 14 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-14 23:20:07 GMT
    Kudos, or perhaps, cheers to the Alabama Legislature for passing HB9, the home brewing bill. Legalized home brewing may not be up there with education reform or prison funding, but it was overdue. 
    Kudos, or perhaps, cheers to the Alabama Legislature for passing HB9, the home brewing bill. Legalized home brewing may not be up there with education reform or prison funding, but it was overdue. 
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Nearly 100,000 people in the River Region rely on local emergency rooms for routine medical services. 

That clearly doesn't serve patients or hospitals well. 

Nationally, 85 providers received federal stimulus grants to help improve health care centers and the state of Alabama received one.  To the credit of community leaders, Montgomery got it. 

More than 11 million dollars was awarded to Health Services Incorporated, a private nonprofit company that operates federally funded health centers in the region to serve uninsured and underinsured people. 

We applaud Envision 2020 who spearheaded the effort to get the grant, Jackson Hospital for donating the property to build a new health center, and the city and county for contributing two and a half million additional dollars to make it happen. 

The new facility will replace the Lister Hill clinic that is more than 40 years old.  It should be open in less than two years.  It will be much larger and able to offer primary care to an additional 25,000 people. 

This is a huge positive for everyone in the River Region and underscores how the public and private sectors working cooperatively can improve our quality of life.