What is the greatest health care challenge facing Maryland today, and how do you plan to address it?
Staff shortage is the greatest health care challenge. We need to create more pipelines to retain current staff, train future health care staff and provide better working environment for them.
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?
"First, the hospital rates have been regulated by an independent state body, and all payers—private, commercial, Medicare, Medicaid, self-pay—are charged the same rate for the same service at the same hospital. This is a great practice to stay strong.
Second, hospitals should continue to work together with high-quality care, physicians, skilled-nursing facilities, home health providers, and others to ensure that patients receive the right care, at the right time, in the right setting."
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?
We need to enhance our training programs for nurses, make the training more accessible and affordable and provide a good work environments for nurses. I heard that many nurses worry about their safety or were hit by patient such that we need better laws to protect them.
How would you increase availability of and access to health care for Marylanders?
We need more health care providers in all forms and scales.
What policies will you pursue to improve health for all Marylanders? Please also consider the social determinants of health?
I support to create an affordable and sustainable health care system to cover all Marylanders through different channel and different rates.
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?
We need to work with employers, state and federal governments to understand the data better. There is no silver-bullet solution to address this complex problem.
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?
We need to find a balance between paying individuals more from their settlement or judgement and attorneys who are willing to take the case to defend individuals against malpractice. I need to know more in this area.
What are your priorities should you be elected, not confined to health care?
Education, transportation and infrastructure are my priorities.