Tell Sen. Baucus about health care needs of rural Montanans
by Steph Larsen, Center for Rural AffairsGreetings Montanans! The debate over the future of our health care system is in full swing and Senator Max Baucus is at the center of the debate. Health care reform must address the unique needs of rural communities. In order for that to happen, we must speak up and let Sen. Baucus know what rural Montanans think.
Your story is important for Sen. Baucus to hear. Will you go to one of the listening sessions sponsored by Sen. Baucus and raise your voice?
If you go, here are some points to include:
* Health care coverage must be affordable, accessible, and available to everyone
* A public plan option - one that consumers can choose if they want to - is necessary to achieve coverage for all
* Reform that includes meaningful options for small business and the self-employed will bolster entrepreneurship
* Over 80 percent of rural counties are medically underserved, so reform must include new incentives for rural health professionals
* Disease prevention and promoting health in rural communities must be enhanced
* Tell Sen. Baucus about your own experience with health care, or the importance of health care reform to your community
Below are the dates, locations and times. If you do go, please give me a call or drop an email and let me know how it went and what people talked about. It will help us at the Center to better advocate for the health care needs of rural communities.
If you are unable to attend one of these meetings, will you write Sen. Baucus a letter and include the points listed above? Here is the addresses: http://baucus.senate.gov/contact/offices.cfm .
This nifty map lists all the meeting information in a very visual way. Check it out: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF...urce=embed
May 26, 2009
Fort Belknap - 10 am
Tribal Council Offices
Fort Belknap
Harlem, MT 59526
Glasgow - 3 pm
Frances Mahon Deaconess
Hospital
621 3rd St S
Glasgow, MT 59230
Glendive - 2 pm
Glendive Medical Center
202 Prospect Drive
Glendive, MT 59330
Hamilton - 2 pm
Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital
1200 Westwood Drive
Hamilton, MT 59840
Lewistown - 10 am
Central MT Medical Center
408 Wendell Ave
Lewistown, MT 59457
Libby - 2 pm
St. John's Lutheran Hospital
350 Louisiana Ave
Libby, MT 59923
Missoula - 10 am
St. Patrick's Hospital
500 West Broadway
Missoula, MT 59802 Rocky Boy's - 1 pm
Chippewa Cree Tribal Council Offices
Box Elder, MT 59521
Whitefish - 9 am
North Valley Hospital
1600 Hospital Way
Whitefish, MT 59937
May 27, 2009
Anaconda - 2 pm
Community Hospital
401 W Pennsylvania St
Anaconda, MT 59711
Blackfeet - 1 pm
Tribal Council Offices
Browning , Montana 59417
Colstrip - 2 pm
City Hall, 12 Cherry St
Colstrip, MT 59323
Dillon - 10 am
Professional Services Building
Barrett Hospital Campus
30 Highway 91 South
Dillon, MT 59725
Havre - 9 am
Northern MT Hospital
30 13th St
Havre, MT 59501 Livingston - 2 pm
Community Health Partners
126 S Main St
Livingston, MT 59047
Miles City - 10 am
Holy Rosary Healthcare
2600 Wilson Street
Miles City, MT 59301
Shelby - 2 pm
Marias Medical Center
640 Park Avenue
Shelby, MT 59474|
May 28, 2009
Columbus - 2 pm
Stillwater Community Hospital
44 W 4th Ave N
Columbus, MT 59019
Salish and Kootenai - 10 am
Tribal Council Offices
51383 Highway 93 North
Pablo, Montana 59855
White Sulphur Springs - 10 am
Sheriff's Office Training Center
123 West Crawford
White Sulphur Springs, MT 59645
We appreciate your support and look forward to hearing from you about these meetings!
P.S. If you can't make it to a meeting, don't forget to write to Senator Baucus today!
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The Center for Rural Affairs was formed in 1973 by rural Nebraskans concerned about family farms and rural communities. Today, we work across all of rural America to strengthen small businesses, family farms and ranches, and rural communities. For more, see http://www.cfra.org/ .