Wednesday, May 6, 2009

What I Have Learned

Hart County, Ga. is a very interesting town.

What I have learned in trying to report on the health issues that surround the county is that location is everything. To really understand how someone lives their day to day lives one needs to be there for a full day.

Working in a small town to get my feet wet would not be my first choice, but if it were required it is NECESSARY that a reporter is able to immerse themselves into the town. I was not able to do that unfortunately.

Now that the summer is coming and someone has expressed interest in this conundrum that exists between the health department and MedLink I will probably be spending some time their this summer.

I am sure that every town has their secrets and their problems, but what I also understand now is that every place has problems and secrets. Like the swine flu, it is irresponsible to represent a common problem as some unheard of crime against humanity. Citizens not receiving proper healthcare and commuting to see specialized doctors is not fair, but it is also not uncommon.

It is unfair that healthcare is not equal throughout the nation. If everyone did have equal access to healthcare; would there be healthcare options available locally?

Medicare without a car is pretty much useless for some. Money to pay for nursing homes that are already overcrowded doesn't serve much of a purpose either. The solution is not clear, but that doesn't mean that a solution doesn't exist.

Hopefully the new administration will find it.

1 comment:

  1. Learning to immerse yourself in anything, as a reporter, is a process of indeterminate duration. Just because it didn't happen within the artificial confines of a 15-week semester doesn't mean it will never happen. Who knows? You may still become the (non)resident expert on health in Hart County.

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