Sheryl Mitchell
Editor’s Note: Cheryl Mitchell is president of Treleven, a retreat and learning program located on her family’s sheep ranch in Addison County. She does freelance consulting on issues related to children, families, social policy, and farm-to-community activism.she can be reached at [email protected]
Bristol’s Mount Abraham Union High School has an exciting new project connecting students and medical professionals. No appointments or dropouts are required, and you receive ongoing support from both school nurses, mountain health center care providers, and the wider community. If you have insurance, you can claim it, and it’s okay if you don’t. This is one way we might be able to change the health dire situation in our communities. We are sure there are many other great ideas waiting for us, and we encourage people to come together and share their ideas.
We all know there is a crisis in health care delivery in America and here at home. However, the care we receive for premiums is limited and has no effect on good health. Too many people have no access to care, wait times for mental health services are exorbitant, and the systems that care for physical, mental and social health seem completely disconnected. There must be a better way to focus and work with the whole person, the whole family, the whole community.
Our family was recently in London and was helping take care of our grandson while our daughter was on tour. My husband had injured her eye shortly before we left. It didn’t get better, so I went to a nearby eye clinic on Sunday for an examination. The customers waiting to be seen were far more diverse than anything I’ve ever seen in Vermont. was treated with Even high-income clients who complained about needing to be moved to the top of the waiting list were treated with dignity and respect. Yet they were not put on the waiting list and received no special accommodation.
When it was our turn, we were able to consult some great experts in the field. He performed far more detailed tests than her husband had in Vermont and was able to give prescriptions for free. It made all the difference possible in the healing of his eyes.
I know there are huge challenges for the UK and Canada’s National Health Service, but we will transform the way health care is delivered in Vermont so more people stay healthy at a much lower cost. I also know that it is possible to
Addison County came together to create the program when adolescent pregnancy rates were among the highest in the country. As a community, we were concerned that very few people had decent, affordable housing, so we worked with other groups to create the Addison County Community Trust to expand access.
We still have a long way to go, but we know that people in this community can come together to solve important social and economic challenges. Bristol’s new mobile health van is just the beginning. Surely we can do better about how we deliver health and wellness services. Please share your thoughts with me, your legislators and your neighbors.
