'Your Oregon, Your Health' offers chance to be heard

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May 06, 2008

By Troy Heie

Mail Tribune

Southern Oregonians can offer their two cents on health-care reform in the state, and their ideas could go all the way to Salem.

Oregon Health Fund Board members will hold public meetings in Klamath Falls and Medford next week, part of a 13-community statewide tour entitled, "Your Oregon, Your Health," says Carol Robinson, executive director of Oregon Health Forum, one of the sponsors.

The Oregon Health Fund Board, established by the 2007 Legislature, is a group of seven citizens responsible for developing a statewide health-reform proposal in time for the 2009 legislative session. More than 100 committee members serve on advisory committees for the board, and several workgroups develop recommendations for the board, Robinson says.

"The community dialogues across the state will be valuable listening and learning opportunities for those of us serving on the board, while also providing information to Oregonians about the current process to create a new system of health care in our state," says Bill Thorndike, Oregon Health Fund Board chairman and president of Medford Fabrication. "We need to hear from Oregonians about what they want in that new system."

The meetings are sponsored by Northwest Health Foundation and organized by Oregon Health Forum, Oregon Health Decisions and the 25 member organizations of the Oregon Health Reform Collaborative.

"These meetings are really about members of a community describing their perceptions of the common good in relation to the basic directions of policy options," says Michael Garland, board member of Oregon Health Decisions.

The meetings will focus on finding common values among Oregonians around health-care quality, access, cost and delivery. A report from the meetings will be presented to the Oregon Health Fund Board, its advisory committees and the Governor's health policy team in early July.

"Everyone's voice will be heard," Robinson says.

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