Coolidge Stands up for Rural Access to Healthcare

Dear Friend,

Access to healthcare in California’s rural communities, like ours, is a critical issue. The North State has some of the worst health outcomes, lowest ratios of physicians per residents, long ER wait times, and patients that routinely have to travel 70-miles or more to see a specialist. This is unacceptable.

One of the reasons I am running for State Assembly is to play an active role in shifting state policy to reduce the red tape and bureaucratic obstacles that have prevented greater access to care in our community.

I recently took to this message to the pages of the Chico Enterprise-Record to share more about my thoughts on improving access to healthcare in our community. Take a look:

It shouldn’t be this hard to see a doctor | Guest commentary

… We don’t need more top-down mandates or bureaucratic red tape. What we need are practical, boots-on-the-ground solutions to bring doctors and services into our communities — and keep them here.

One successful model I’ve worked to support is the rural residency program led by Healthy Rural California. By training new doctors in rural areas like Butte County, we not only boost local health care capacity, but also increase the chances those doctors will stay and practice in our region. This kind of work is exactly the kind of targeted, locally driven investment that makes a difference. It respects the unique needs of rural areas and helps build up long-term stability in our health care system.

But these solutions won’t succeed unless we make it easier — not harder — for medical professionals to work in rural California. That’s where legislative action is needed. The legislature needs to focus on lowering burdens to care and making it easier for physicians to come and practice in the high-need areas of our state…

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

LINK TO STORY IN CHICO ENTERPRISE RECORD

If you have a chance to read the full article, I would appreciate hearing your thoughts. Every day I am out in the community hearing from residents like yourself about how these issues impact you. I see next year's race for State Assembly as a real opportunity to have important discussions about the key issues facing the North State, like healthcare. When I am elected to the Assembly, these conversations will continue past election day and result in meaningful change for our communities.

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