Dear Editor,
I am retired after a lifetime of working in health care both in Vermont and New Mexico. Allied health care professionals are important but we also need doctors.
My concern in a rural state with an aging population is the increasing need to travel long distances for care. If we are going to have centers for care we must also have transportation to get to those centers. Some are lucky to have friends, family and neighbors to drive them, others have no way to access services. Has the lack of transportation been considered when these centers are set up?
Mental health seems to be totally ignored. Psychiatrists are needed for diagnosis of serious cases and initial medication trials. They don’t seem to exist. The hit-or-miss care by mental health technicians can lead to long-term term suffering and disability. Yes, nurses and technicians can do long term treatment but many patients need a comprehensive diagnosis and good medicine. Often just throwing meds at someone does more harm than good.
Vermont needs comprehensive, well-planned health services.
Beverly Frost
Sheffield
Read the story on VTDigger here: Beverly Frost: Health care plans need to take transportation and mental health care into account.