What is the greatest health care challenge facing Maryland today, and how do you plan to address it?
We need more health care providers, with a focus on Mental Health care providers. I plan to support legislation to provide tuition-free education for up to a 4 year degree from a college, university, or trade school. We should additionally support recruiting students to enter the medical field, emphasizing the availability of jobs in the health care field.
I additionally support advanced training for mental health care professionals, such as Masters Degrees for Licensed Clinical Social Workers and medical school, provided those students commit to practice in the state of Maryland for a specified period of time.
I would also support increasing the number of students enrolled in the University of Maryland Medical School.
Maryland’s hospitals operate under a unique contract with the federal government that promotes community, equity, and value. It also contributes significantly to Maryland's economy. How do you plan to support the continued success of the Maryland Model?
I will support continued efforts to link Maryland hospitals with the communities in which they are located. In Frederick County, we need an additional hospital, particularly additional locations for emergency services. The Emergency Department at the hospital in Frederick is over-taxed, despite recent expansion. Increased traffic on Frederick County highways makes it more important to have emergency facilities in more locations to provide better access to care.
Maryland is experiencing a shortage of health care practitioners, especially nurses, that we project will worsen in the years ahead. How do you plan to address the immediate crisis and what will you do to make sure we have a robust and sustainable health care workforce pipeline?
See my answer to Question 1.
We need more health care providers, with a focus on Mental Health care providers. I plan to support legislation to provide tuition-free education for up to a 4 year degree from a college, university, or trade school. We should additionally support recruiting students to enter the medical field, emphasizing the availability of jobs in the health care field.
I additionally support advanced training for mental health care professionals, such as Masters Degrees for Licensed Clinical Social Workers and medical school, provided those students commit to practice in the state of Maryland for a specified period of time.
How would you increase availability of and access to health care for Marylanders?
See my answers to questions 1 and 2.
We need both more health care providers and health care facilities. The ACA has provided medical insurance to many who were unemployed, but insurance does no good if you cannot get an appointment.
In Frederick County, we need an additional hospital, particularly additional locations for emergency services. The Emergency Department at the hospital in Frederick is over-taxed, despite recent expansion. Increased traffic on Frederick County highways makes it more important to have emergency facilities in more locations to provide better access to care.
What policies will you pursue to improve health for all Marylanders? Please also consider the social determinants of health?
In addition to more health care providers and facilities, we need increased focus on continuity of care. Our current structure for providing health care is too fragmented, with different specialists for each body part, with little coordination between them. We need an increased emphasis on multi-disciplinary approaches to health care. We need to address the financial incentives which make specialty care a more desirable career path than being a general practitioner, and address the high cost of medical school which leaves new doctors with debt that requires servicing.
We need to address gun violence with common sense gun regulation, but we also need to address the culture of violence in our country.
I would support increased emphasis on overall fitness, with free access to physical fitness and nutrition training within each community.
How do you plan to address consumers' growing exposure to health care costs, such as high deductible health plans and rising prescription drug prices in Maryland?
I believe health care is a human right. I support universal access to health care and would support a single payer system to address costs. The Maryland Plan has held down the rate of increase in the cost of care, but the savings is minimal compared to the difference between health care costs in the U.S. compared to every other developed nation. We can support an effective hospital system without bankrupting families. (Medical expenses are the #1 cause of bankruptcy.) A single payer system would eliminate the insurance middle-men which absorb up to 40% of our health care costs. The federal government should attach strings to the research funding it provides to maintain some control of the costs of the products which result from that funding.
Maryland’s worsening medical liability climate, as noted in a recent independent report, threatens access to, and affordability of, health care services in Maryland. Plaintiffs’ attorneys typically take 40% of a medical malpractice judgment. Do you support limiting attorneys’ fees so that the affected individuals can receive more of their settlement or judgment? What additional reforms would you support that balance supporting individuals and families harmed by medical malpractice with ensuring continued access to services in a community?
The best way to reduce medical liability claims is to improve the quality of health care. The solution is not to force families to bear the cost of a medical malpractice. While we need to increase the number of providers, we should also ensure that providers who are not providing quality care are re-trained or removed from the profession.
What are your priorities should you be elected, not confined to health care?
My priority as a legislator will be the same as my priority as a Soldier -- to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States (and the State of Maryland) against all enemies foreign and domestic. One of my current state Delegates was an active supporter of insurrection against the democratic process outlined in our Constitution. I am focused on providing quality government services that meet the needs of our residents in a fair and efficient manner. In Frederick County, we need to balance the needs of our growing communities with preserving our agricultural heritage. We need to address the divisiveness in our country and our communities, and replace divisiveness with a sense of community. We need to gather accurate data and analyze it to drive policies. I will apply common sense and focus on getting things done to improve the lives of Maryland residents.