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The most recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau states that more than 43 million Americans were uninsured in 2002. In Washington state, an estimated 780,000 residents are without health insurance.
Dr. Robert Crittenden, UW associate professor and chief of Family Medicine Service at Harborview Medical Center, has devoted much of his medical career to fighting for health-care access and coverage for these individuals.
"High-risk and low-income people are the ones who are badly affected by our health-care system as it currently functions," Crittenden said. He added that state budget cuts have worsened the already serious problem of access to health care for these individuals.
Crittenden is the recipient of a Soros Fellowship aimed at strengthening and using advocacy skills to improve health-care access through collaborative efforts. The goal of the two-year grant is to increase Washington residents' interest in creating fundamental reforms in the state's health-care system. That current level of interest has been assessed at about 18 percent. Crittenden would like to increase that figure to 50 percent. He acknowledged that wouldn't be an easy number to reach.
"The reality is that the needs of the middle class shape and drive our health-care system," he said. Because low-income, sick and elderly people often are unable to be their own advocates, others must speak for them to make sure their issues are addressed.
Within that context, Crittenden said it is critical to address the broader issues affecting the middle class while making sure that those most in need are not forgotten.
He cited Harborview Medical Center as an example of how the health-care interests of the population at large mesh with the concerns of the uninsured. Harborview provides about 25 percent of all hospital charity care delivered in Washington state. The institution also serves the entire state as a sophisticated trauma center. As such, it is an invaluable resource to everyone.
Said Crittenden, "When this mutual interest is pointed out to people, it helps them see that the issue of access to medical care is not about 'them' but about 'us.'"
Through town meetings, research, advocacy, and collaboration, Crittenden hopes to convince people that health-care access for everyone is not only an important goal, but also one that is reachable.
"To make progress, we must educate people, get them emotionally involved, and lay out solutions that they can understand and believe in," he said.
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