Sorensen pledges to fight for health care access in QC

U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Moline, met with local health care leaders on Wednesday, Jan. 24, and pledged his support for more health care access – especially mental health care –  and services in the region. “We are best when we fight together. … We have to get over the stigma of mental health,” Mr. Sorensen […]

U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Moline, met with local health care leaders on Wednesday, Jan. 24, and pledged his support for more health care access – especially mental health care –  and services in the region. “We are best when we fight together. … We have to get over the stigma of mental health,” Mr. Sorensen said Wednesday afternoon after visiting with key UnityPoint-Trinity Health officials in Rock Island. The congressman discussed his meeting with several members of the news media during a brief gathering in the Jardine Auditorium at UnityPoint Health – Trinity in Rock Island.

He added that one of the keys in the fight is to educate the public that essential and high-quality care is available to them. Also, he promised to fight for more funding to improve and expand care options for people in the region. A few days ago, Mr. Sorensen joined the Department of Health and Human Services to announce $2,241,352 for Rockford-based Crusader Community Health to provide high-quality health services for families in Northern Illinois. He also recently announced $696,899 from the HHS to Whiteside County to administer public health services to underserved populations.  “I will always advocate for funding that makes our communities safer and healthier for future generations,” he said at that time. “That’s why I’m proud to join the Department of Health and Human Services to announce this critical grant that’s going to help more Northern Illinois families get connected to essential health care.”  He said has also had recent meetings in the region to discuss efforts to lower the prices on prescription drugs. On Wednesday, he was focused on meeting with two area health care officials – Shawn Morrow, president of UnityPoint Health; and Dennis Duke, president of the Robert Young Mental Health Center. The center, part of UnityPoint Health-Trinity, provides care for behavioral health needs. Mr. Sorensen wanted to see the local facilities and hear concerns from local health care officials.

Mr. Duke said that one of the main points he made to Mr. Sorensen is telling him that telehealth services are vital to the Robert Young center. Telehealth — sometimes called telemedicine — lets a health care provider deliver care without an in-person office visit. Telehealth is done primarily online with internet access on your computer, tablet or smartphone. Mr. Duke said he is concerned that some laws governing telehealth options are about to expire or sunset. When those laws sunset, it may limit the telehealth options Robert Young can provide to patients. He wants Mr. Sorensen to fight for those laws to be extended or pass new laws to help provide telehealth. The Robert Young president added that he also used Wednesday’s meeting to let Mr. Sorensen know the center has been selected to become a state Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) as part of Iowa’s federal application to become a Medicaid demonstration program. CCBHCs focus on providing comprehensive, integrated, coordinated and person-centered behavioral health care. Each CCBHC has the flexibility to implement programming based on the needs of their community while reporting on standardized quality outcome measures, according to information from UnityPoint-Trinity Health. After Wednesday's meeting with Mr. Sorensen, Mr. Morrow said he is optimistic that local health care officials have a person fighting for them during these tough times. Health officials need that help, he added, because more people are looking for more health care services in an era of budget cuts. “I told him he’s the first visionary congressman I have met. … I think he’s going to help us, even though there are no easy solutions,” Mr. Morrow added.