Falls Community Health Dental Clinic manager
Letter to the Editor - Argus Leader
Submitted by Lonna Jones, Falls Community Health
In their mission to inform the public, newspapers also should educate taxpayers about the budget debate on Capitol Hill. The question now is not which programs to cut, but which programs are worth investing in. Federally funded community health centers offer assistance to working families seeking health care. A person's health affects their ability to be a productive member of society. It is invaluable to invest in a program that supports productivity in today's economy. When we cut programs such as these, all of us pay, whether it is through higher health care costs, long lines at hospital waiting rooms or even increased public risk to communicable diseases.
During National Health Center Week, (Aug. 7-13), I invite my representatives in Congress to visit a health center in their district and learn how this national network is a lifeline to so many. In Sioux Falls, representatives can visit Falls Community Health to observe the positive effects of assisting the most vulnerable population in our city.
As Falls Community Health Dental Clinic manager, I see firsthand what happens to people who have no access to dental services. We serve these patients. If clinics such as ours were not available, the only recourse a patient would have is going to the emergency room and incurring a bill that ultimately would become the responsibility of taxpayers. In the past year, the Dental Clinic saw 2,480 emergencies. This service reduced the number of emergency room visits. Please urge your representatives to support community health centers. They are cost-effective and life-saving.
