The battle to provide health care in PWC

If we have nothing in life, we must have our health. There is an endless debate as to whether or not health care should be free, but I am glad that there is a place in Prince William County where the
debate is left to politicians while care is provided to those who need it.

I found just such a place at the Greater Prince William Community Health Center.

I was invited by the executive director of the facility to spend an afternoon touring the Health Center to get a better understanding of what it does. The executive director is Frank Principi, and in the spirit of
full disclosure, Mr. Principi is also a member of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.

What I found in my visit was impressive. The Health Center is a 501c3 non-profit medical corporation that provides primary care medical services to patients (newborn to geriatrics). The Health Center
served about 4,000 uninsured and insured county residents last year and provided free services totaling approximately $301,000 in health care related services. It also provides $250,000 worth of free medication prescription.

The average cost of a patient visit is $40, and labs cost anywhere from $5 to $25: a relatively cheap amount when you consider the cost of a visit to an emergency room these days.

Mr. Principi also mentioned that the Health Center could save the two hospitals in the county approximately $10 million this year in unnecessary patient visits to their Emergency Departments.

My heart always goes out to organizations that perform tasks concerning health care disparities. I don’t endorse specific organizations, but I certainly do endorse good timely ideas, and this is one of
them. Moreover, I like to see initiatives that move past the rhetoric of politics and the lethargic process of public policy to make things happen.

Just before Christmas, I wrote about how the Manassas City Department of Family Services is allowing citizens to give 99 cents on their electricity bill to help those with high utility costs. That utility
program and the Health Center are good illustrations of organizations — for profit and not-for-profit— working together to try to be efficient in services while meeting a community need.

The harsh reality is that tough times might be hanging around for many of us. But as I have written in this column and said so many times before, the tough times should always bring out the best in us.
My hope is that these times will also bring out the best in our local, state and federal budgeting process; good solutions like the utility program in Manassas and the Health Center should be funded.

Health care coverage is normally the quickest thing to go after someone loses a job — excluding the expensive cost of COBRA payments after a layoff. And when that happens, no feeling of vulnerability
is more concerning. We already know that more than 47 million Americans are without health care. That number will definitely increase over the year as job losses occur. That is why clinics like the
Health Center are so necessary, especially now.

As you can imagine, funding is a constant issue with organizations like the Health Center, and that is why I wanted to make our community aware of its existence. People in our community need to be
aware of the Health Center in case they need health care but also so it can receive the attention of our elected officials, especially at the federal level. In my opinion, service related organizations like the
Health Center should have been at the heart of the stimulus package, along with immediate job creation. I wonder how much of the bonanza of deficit spending goes to stimulating immediate needs like
health care coverage — something that might actually be worth doing.

We are finding many ways to bailout corporations and to do who-knows-what with trillions of dollars. But we must make services that do the “grunt work” of service delivery the main priority.

There will always be plenty of debating time for what the long-term future of health care should be. But reality tends to put ideology aside. Anyone who has gone through a layoff or is in the mist of one
can relate to what I am saying. Ideally, the new federal stimulus package makes room for America’s health clinics. If not, America’s emergency room had better clear more space.

If anyone else knows of an organization like the Health Center, please let me know. Highlighting the best of our community is what makes writing fun.

Davon Gray works in Washington, D.C., and resides in Woodbridge. Contact him at davongray@verizon.net.