Recent editorials published in Indiana newspapers
The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette. June 14, 2018
'You get what you pay for'
To anyone paying attention, many of the numbers shared by speakers at The State of Our Health 2018 Road Show were not a surprise. Indiana's health problems are myriad, and some of them are getting worse.
The Road Show, organized by a coalition of health care and business organizations and leaders of the Alliance for a Healthier Indiana, is visiting cities around the state to bring attention to these problems, and to move toward solutions.
. Already higher than the nation's rate, infant mortality has actually increased in Indiana during recent years. Some of the highest rates in the state for African-American infant deaths are in two Allen County ZIP codes.
"This isn't a Third World country," said Dr. Tony GiaQuinta, president of the Indiana American Academy of Pediatrics. "This is our community."
. Our state's ranking for prevalence and treatment of mental illness has plummeted. According to Fort Wayne/Allen County Health Commissioner Dr. Deborah McMahan, "We were 19th, and we've evolved into 45th" in the Mental Health Association of America's latest rankings.
. The state is ranked 35th for children's health, said Katie Kincaid of the Indiana Youth Institute.
. In the 2017 America's Health state rankings, Indiana was listed 38th for the overall health of its citizens, with high rates of obesity, tobacco.
. And, of course, there is the drug crisis. "We could have up to 50,000 people who are using opioids improperly in Allen County," Mc-Mahan said.
One statistic explains why we're not making more progress on all the others. According to America's Health, Indiana is 49th among the 50 states in public health spending.
"The average American spends $232 per month eating meals prepared outside the home," McMahan said. "In 2017, in Allen County, we spent $13.71 per person on public health - you can't even go to a movie for that. Why is our health so poor? You get what you pay for."
At least a part of the solution, it would appear, is for the state to resolve to spend more money helping its citizens live healthier lives.
But what about infrastructure, public education, workforce development? How does a state with so many other challenges find more money to address its many health crises?
One solution, endorsed by the alliance and by many of those who spoke at Tuesday's conference, is for the state to raise the cigarette tax.
"Raising the cigarette tax is absolutely the best way to reduce smoking in the community," GiaQuinta said. "It has been well studied that the greater the tax, the less people will smoke. And the downstream effects from that will be seen immediately" on such problems as infant mortality, he said.
Then, GiaQuinta said, "that money needs to go back into public health. ... We need the funding to drive these initiatives. Whether it's obesity, where I can see patients for obesity but I have nowhere to send them. Or whether it's smoking, needing to funnel them into a tobacco-cessation program." Or substance abuse and mental health treatment.
The Alliance for a Healthier Indiana says a $1.50-per-pack additional tax on cigarettes could bring the state $315 million annually. The legislature needs to give that proposal serious attention next January.
As McMahan noted, there's always a positive return on money invested in proven public-health strategies. Healthy students are better learners; healthy workers are more productive. Health care costs go down. Most important, the quality of life could be improved for millions of Hoosiers.
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South Bend Tribune. June 13, 2018
Hoosiers paying the price for state's stinginess on tobacco control.
For years, Indiana has shortchanged programs to help smokers quit and prevent youth from picking up the deadly habit.
That stinginess may have helped the state earn a high place on a list no one should covet.
According to a recent study, a lack of funding for tobacco control programs may be contributing to Indiana's 10th highest smoking rate in the nation.
The Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation report found that Indiana spent $8.2 million in 2016 on tobacco control efforts. As recently as 2008, the state spent $16 million on such initiatives. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends states allocate $73.5 million for such efforts.
The report predicts that spending the CDC's recommended amount could cause 117,000 adults to stop smoking, which would be about an 11 percent reduction. The study was conducted by the Health Policy Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Two decades ago, the state spent the amount recommended by the CDC on tobacco control, but over the years, lawmakers have continually raided money - from the 1998 class-action lawsuit against cigarette companies - intended to pay for smoking cessation efforts and public initiatives.
And in 2011, the legislature dismantled the independent agency that administered a tobacco prevention initiative - which had developed into a nationally acclaimed program, insulated from politics and tobacco industry influence. For many, that move signaled the beginning of the end for tobacco prevention in Indiana.
According to the Fairbanks study, more than 11,000 Indiana residents die due to smoking each year and cost the state $7.6 billion in health care expenses.
Such personal and financial losses should make defeating the public health menace that is smoking - using funds already set aside for the undertaking - a priority for lawmakers. Shamefully, that's not the case in Indiana.
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The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin. June 15, 2018
Lesson from Smith-Priser settlement - - keep your cool
When cooler heads don't prevail, heated exchanges ensue and, often, considerable costs follow.
Essentially, that's the story behind a lawsuit against the city of Anderson and former Mayor Kevin Smith that was sparked by a dispute back in October 2015. The suit ended with a $30,000 settlement a couple of weeks ago.
Here's the back story:
Smith, Anderson's mayor at the time, was conducting a meet-and-greet with residents on Oct. 29, 2015, at Vermillion Place, 449 Main St., an assisted living facility.
Diana Priser, who had been terminated from her position with the city of Anderson when Smith took office in 2012, was also at the facility.
In her complaint against Smith related to the 2015 incident, Priser alleges she was unlawfully arrested and imprisoned while trying to deliver her mother's absentee voting ballot.
"Priser was battered, detained, arrested and imprisoned by Smith, who had no legal power to do so," the lawsuit states. "Priser was detained for approximately two and a half hours before she was released."
According to the suit, Priser's mother had requested assistance in delivering an absentee ballot that was placed in a return envelope, signed and sealed.
Priser was leaving Vermillion Place when she encountered Smith near the front door. The mayor told Priser she could not deliver the ballot in person and allegedly attempted to take the ballot from her. He subsequently called for police, who detained Priser.
Without a doubt, there was bad blood between Smith and Priser, and that animosity, on both parts, played a role in their confrontation.
But Smith should have kept a cooler head, remembering his station as mayor, the dignity that should accompany it and the liability of the city in such situations.
Though Smith admits no guilt in the settlement the parties reached, his actions back in October 2015 ultimately proved costly. The settlement to Priser will be paid through Smith's insurance ($5,000), his campaign campaign fund ($5,000) and the city's insurance coverage ($20,000).
On the surface, there doesn't appear to be any charge to taxpayers, but keep in mind that insurance rates rise when a party has a record of such settlements. And, of course, we're not taking into account here undisclosed court costs.
While Smith can defend his actions that day in 2015, ultimately his supporters and the city paid the price.
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The (Munster) Times. June 14, 2018
Smart911 is potential safety net for emergency dispatchers, public
Lake County is considering a fix to this and similar issues through an app called Smart911. Among other services, it would allow residents to voluntarily submit key household information, including the number of people and pets living in the home, proactively to the dispatch service.
Lake County E-911 Director Mark Swiderski cited a recent Hancock County case in which a 7-year-old boy dialed 911 when his grandmother collapsed. The boy was unable to provide an exact location, but his grandmother had signed up for the service's Smart911 program. That meant emergency personnel knew the location of the emergency and could rapidly respond.
Swiderski championed a $40,000-per-year contract for Lake County to access Smart911 service. That's about the annual cost of a disptacher's salary, but if it can save lives, it's money well spent.
We also realize not all local emergency dispatch services are sold on Smart911.
Porter County officials, who have been using Smart911 since 2011, are considering a vote to leave the service later this month, noting a $28,000 per year price tag and low participation by residents.
Regardless of the decisions made by the respective counties, government officials and public safety agencies owe it to their residents to keep these systems as safe and responsive as possible.
Proper and widespread notification to residents regarding the benefits of providing their household information to dispatch services also is important.
This isn't an area in which corners can or should be cut. Lives are on the line.
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