Governor’s Select Committe on Health Care seeks public comment

The Governor’s Select Committee on Health Care is seeking public comment at its first regional meeting that will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 24, in the Salmon River Suite of the Idaho State University Pond Student Union Building in Pocatello.

“The hearing will be an open forum and will be pretty wide open,” said Brent Brocksome, committee chair. “We’re asking for individuals, private groups, government officials and other interested parties to come forward to discuss their health care problems and their proposed solutions to those problems.”

ISU President Arthur C. Vailas, Ph.D., will open the proceedings and introduce Joyce McRoberts, who was appointed by Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter as the Idaho Project Manager on Health Care. McRoberts has served in Idaho Senate, was the Twin Falls regional director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare from 1995-2000 and was deputy director of Health and Welfare in 2004-05. McRoberts will give an overview of the Health Care Summit organized by the governor’s office this summer and introduce members of the committee.

Joining Brocksome on the committee are Sandy Patano of Coeur d’Alene, state director for Sen. Larry Craig; Joan Kroch, health insurance policy program specialist for the Idaho Department of Insurance in Boise; Robin Dodson, special advisor to ISU Boise’s dean; Leslie Clement, administrator of the Division of Medicaid at the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare in Boise; Dr. Karl Watts, a physician at Genesis Medical Center in Boise; Stephen Weeg, executive director of Health West Inc. in Pocatello; and Gem County Commissioner Michele Sherrer of Emmett. Seven of the eight members on the committee are scheduled to be in Pocatello.

The findings and recommendations of the Governor’s Health Care Summit, which was conducted in August, will be available for review and can be found on the governor’s Web site at: http://gov.idaho.gov/healthcarerecommendations.pdf.

Under Executive Order 2007-13, signed by Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter on Sept. 28, the Governor’s Select Committee on Health Care will:

• review and evaluate the recommendations of the Idaho Health Care Summit and periodically report its findings to the governor;

• provide additional recommendations to the governor, beyond those proposed at the Summit, for addressing Idaho’s health care issues;

• gather, review and evaluate health care data and information from state agencies, within the limits of state and federal law, and report its findings and analysis to the governor;

• conduct meetings in each region of the state to gather public comments and perspectives;

• propose ways to further encourage public- and private-sector partnerships for providing health care services in Idaho; and

• work closely with the governor and Legislature to evaluate existing state laws, policies and procedures concerning health care in Idaho.

The Governor’s Select Committee on Health Care meeting is scheduled in conjunction with the 20th annual ISU Idaho Conference on Health Care running Oct. 24-26 at ISU. For more information on the Health Conference visit www.isu.edu/kchp/hlthconf or call (208) 282-3155.