The news of Powell Valley Healthcare’s decision to close their oncology services along with their Cody Clinic reminded me of the state of health care in Wyoming, overall. Many health care facilities in Wyoming are cutting services, making it even harder for people to access the care they need. We have some great providers and clinics here, but oftentimes people have to travel to Billings for specialized care which can be prohibitively expensive and leaves important health care out of reach for many in our community.
Now, a subcommittee of the Wyoming State Legislature, including Sen. Dan Laursen of Powell, is trying to further cut health care in Wyoming. This committee is wasting time and taxpayer dollars by combing through the State Department of Health’s budget to find ways to weaken its already streamlined budget. They are doing this in a slapdash, fast-track manner that will provide them very little understanding about what they are actually proposing to cut, and even less opportunity for members of the public to weigh in.
Our Wyoming Department of Health deals with some of our communities’ most urgent and important health care needs. The folks who run it work hard to ensure efficiency, so that every dollar goes where it’s needed most. The DOH already has a lean, efficient budget — more than 90% of the department’s funding goes directly to local programs and clinics, led by members of our own communities. More worryingly, this will impact maternity care in our state. Many hospitals around the state are terminating their maternity care, making women travel further just to deliver their baby in bad weather or emergency situations. This “maternity desert” without obstetric care or OB/GYNs currently includes nine counties across Wyoming.
Department of Health funding ensures that Wyoming communities are free to chart their own course and stay strong and resilient. The programs and clinics supported by the Department of Health help keep us healthy, leaving us free to contribute to our communities. When people are looking to move to a new area like Powell, the first thing they look at are the local health care services that are available in their time of need. We are lucky to have the Powell Valley Healthcare system along with the Heartland Assisted Living, Oxbow Counseling Center and One Health Clinic right here.
The Department of Health helps us invest in the future of our communities by making sure that people can get through tough times, illness, and hardship to strive for a better future. The people of Wyoming want its government to provide better basic services to improve quality of life — starting with better health care access.
The legislators who have volunteered for this interim committee are Sen. Dan Laursen of Powell, Dan.Laursen@wyoleg.gov; Rep. Trey Sherwood of Laramie, trey.sherwood@wyoleg.gov; and Rep. Ken Pendergraft of Sheridan, Ken.Pendergraft@wyoleg.gov. Please contact these legislators to point out the importance of all of the Department of Health funding.
Laurie Larsen
Wyoming Rising, Powell
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