The Lacrosse Tribune has published a letter from Nathan Bahr, a medical student who grew up in Caledonia. Bahr writes:
I’m not typically one to write about politics, but as a current medical student I feel obligated to speak out in regards to the SCHIP bill.
The objective of SCHIP is to provide poor children with the opportunity to obtain adequate health care. Currently, this program authorizes about 7 million children, and experts estimate another 4 million would be covered by 2012 at the proposed funding of $60 billion over five years.
In my training at Loyola University in Chicago, I have worked with underserved communities and understand how hard it is for these families to find insurance for their children.
As a future physician, I also understand how fundamental it is for these children to have adequate health care. These kids cannot be blamed for their economic circumstance and they should not be punished because of it.
I grew up in Caledonia, worked at Franciscan Skemp and look forward to the possibility of returning to the region someday as a physician. I know the good people in this region and respect their hard work and compassion.
Thankfully, Reps. Ron Kind and Tim Walz both represent the area well and supported the SCHIP bill prior to its veto. I would urge everyone who feels strongly about this bill to contact these congressmen and thank them. But also, ask that they contact their colleagues to get this bill the votes it needs to override the veto. The health of children all around the country will be severely hampered if the bill fails.
From what we can tell, Bahr finished a clerkship in pediatrics in September, so his claims of working with families in the Chicago area are well-founded.
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