MONROE - During the Green County Fair Saturday, July 19 , Rep. Brett Davis and Democratic candidates for Assembly John Waelti and Kris Wisnefske gathered at a forum designed to inform and educate the public on major health issues in Green County and give insight as to what candidates planned to do to help solve these issues if voted into office.
Between 85 and100 residents showed up for the forum that was moderated by Scott Thompson and aired live over WEKZ.
Jaime Batz, public health nurse from the Green County Health Department, spoke on the challenges that Green County faced with having little state funding to have a comprehensive local program in place to prevent youth from smoking and help current smokers quit.
In the county, 24 percent of residents smoke as well as 21 percent of high school youth. Currently, Green County, as well as a number of rural counties in the state, has little funding for a comprehensive tobacco program after being cut by 80 percent in 2004. The current state budget is less than 50 percent of what the Center of Disease Control recommends to deal with the tobacco problem.
"Considering that tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death and a major public health problem, it seemed fitting to ask the candidates how they would plan to deal with the burden of tobacco in Green County if elected," she said.
RoAnn Warden, director of the Green County Health Department and health officer for Green County, spoke on the lack of access to dental care which many Green County residents experience especially if uninsured or on Medicaid programs. Statistics for Green County show that 36 percent of residents did not see a dentist at all last year.
"Untreated dental problems can lead to further health problems and medical treatments would not be necessary if the dental problem had been caught early or prevented all together with routine dental care," she said.
Warden is on a committee that is developing the Fowler Free Dental Clinic which is set to open at the Green County Health Department in September to serve children age 3 to17 who have an on-going dental problem.
"The clinic will serve many children, however, it is a temporary Band-Aid to a major problem as the clinic will not have the resources to serve adults nor provide routine preventive dental check-ups and that makes dental access a priority to address with the candidates," Warden said.
Jeannie Blumer, director of economic support spoke on the gap in the Medicaid/Badgercare System that many single adults fall through which makes medical care inaccessible.
"Currently if you are an adult without a child, are not considered elderly or disabled and are of low income and do not have option for health issuance, you can not get coverage through Medicaid or Badgercare," Blumer explained.
Candidates explored the issue of expanding coverage of benefits to these individuals as well as looking at universal healthcare as a possible option to prevent this gap in the healthcare system.
"This event served two major purposes; first it educated the public as well as the candidates to some major health issues and secondly, it provided an opportunity to become informed as to what each candidate specifically plans on doing to help solve these crucial issues," said Batz, who organized the event. "It may be difficult to understand, for an example, if you have never smoked the challenges that a smoker who desperately wants to quit is faced with when they can't get the help they need to be able to quit or if you have insurance and can access dental and healthcare to understand how difficult it can be for those struggling without access to the care they need.
"These hit home for a lot of people and for others showed how these issues do affect everyone in one way or another."
Between 85 and100 residents showed up for the forum that was moderated by Scott Thompson and aired live over WEKZ.
Jaime Batz, public health nurse from the Green County Health Department, spoke on the challenges that Green County faced with having little state funding to have a comprehensive local program in place to prevent youth from smoking and help current smokers quit.
In the county, 24 percent of residents smoke as well as 21 percent of high school youth. Currently, Green County, as well as a number of rural counties in the state, has little funding for a comprehensive tobacco program after being cut by 80 percent in 2004. The current state budget is less than 50 percent of what the Center of Disease Control recommends to deal with the tobacco problem.
"Considering that tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death and a major public health problem, it seemed fitting to ask the candidates how they would plan to deal with the burden of tobacco in Green County if elected," she said.
RoAnn Warden, director of the Green County Health Department and health officer for Green County, spoke on the lack of access to dental care which many Green County residents experience especially if uninsured or on Medicaid programs. Statistics for Green County show that 36 percent of residents did not see a dentist at all last year.
"Untreated dental problems can lead to further health problems and medical treatments would not be necessary if the dental problem had been caught early or prevented all together with routine dental care," she said.
Warden is on a committee that is developing the Fowler Free Dental Clinic which is set to open at the Green County Health Department in September to serve children age 3 to17 who have an on-going dental problem.
"The clinic will serve many children, however, it is a temporary Band-Aid to a major problem as the clinic will not have the resources to serve adults nor provide routine preventive dental check-ups and that makes dental access a priority to address with the candidates," Warden said.
Jeannie Blumer, director of economic support spoke on the gap in the Medicaid/Badgercare System that many single adults fall through which makes medical care inaccessible.
"Currently if you are an adult without a child, are not considered elderly or disabled and are of low income and do not have option for health issuance, you can not get coverage through Medicaid or Badgercare," Blumer explained.
Candidates explored the issue of expanding coverage of benefits to these individuals as well as looking at universal healthcare as a possible option to prevent this gap in the healthcare system.
"This event served two major purposes; first it educated the public as well as the candidates to some major health issues and secondly, it provided an opportunity to become informed as to what each candidate specifically plans on doing to help solve these crucial issues," said Batz, who organized the event. "It may be difficult to understand, for an example, if you have never smoked the challenges that a smoker who desperately wants to quit is faced with when they can't get the help they need to be able to quit or if you have insurance and can access dental and healthcare to understand how difficult it can be for those struggling without access to the care they need.
"These hit home for a lot of people and for others showed how these issues do affect everyone in one way or another."
