In November the legislative assembly held the second set of committee days. I spent an afternoon in the House Health Care Committee receiving a number of updates including the status of the H1N1 virus and the roll out of Oregon’s Health Kids program. According to DHS, the number of incidences of H1N1 appears to be slowing; however they cautioned that it is common for there to be a second wave of infections. In addition to dealing with the H1N1 virus, DHS has also been rolling out the new Healthy Kids program, which extends health insurance to thousands of Oregon’s children. They have reported over 16,829 new children have enrolled since October 1st. Following the updates, the committee had a presentation on the role of family physicians in health reform. I want to share one point that has stuck with me: primary care practices currently pay an average of 10-15 cents of every dollar they collect to pay for billing systems that are excessively bureaucratic and inefficient. This is yet another reason for much needed reform to the health care system.

I also chaired the first meeting of a new government efficiency task force that was created under my bill which passed during the 2009 legislative session. This new task force will be reviewing state and county shared services in four areas: Assessment and Taxation, Elections, Human Services, and Criminal Justice. We will re-examine our system of delivering services, with a focus on restructuring government to be more effective and cost-efficient.

The mentors at CPY-BBBS dedicate their time to helping youth and making a positive impact on their community. The help and support provided by mentors can result in decreased alcohol and drug use, increased school attendance, reduced negative peer relationships, and increased trust in parental relationships.