October 19, 2024 Newsletter
Now that early voting has begun, please help your neighbors understand the differences between candidates, most starkly in districts 2, 3 (my race), and 5. I was able to highlight some of these in the Health Department forum last week.
“I value a public health department that is guided by science and medical best-practices, data and logic. For Douglas County that freedom hangs in the balance of this election. Not all of the candidates running respect the role of public health officials to advise on public policy or even to provide vaccinations for preventable diseases.
Further, the progress that Douglas County has made in mental health and crisis care may be sacrificed by commission candidates whose only interest is in reducing taxes. Much like what happened to the state under the failed Brownback tax experiment.
You know I am not an open checkbook. I lean in, I question, and look for efficiencies in everything funded with taxpayer dollars. I’ve reduced the mill levy over 10% in two years, while maintaining supportive services. I am committed to the wellness needs of Douglas County citizens.”
Over the last decade or more, Douglas County has invested significantly in crisis care and alternatives to incarceration. The goals are to alleviate the suffering of individuals and help people get their lives on track, but with the understanding that some of these efforts should also save community dollars as fewer people access emergency services and the county jail. I welcome your feedback on programs that you would like to see strengthened, preserved, or curtailed.
As the county looks to create more supportive housing (as our part in the partnership with the city of Lawrence to address chronic homelessness), you will hear me centering the needs of our aging population. Seniors make up a large portion of our supportive housing needs and we will be addressing their issues more fully over this next term. Here are a couple of examples.
In the Community
Delmar Place
I was excited to speak at the groundbreaking for Delmar Place, a new senior housing complex through the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority (LDCHA).
When the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) granted $24m in federal funds as direct assistance to Douglas County. These one-time funds were used for one-time investments in a our long-term resilience, with $8m directed to providing affordable housing. Delmar Place is the first of these projects to come out of the ground. Delmar Place represents significant progress toward housing goals outlined in the city-county plan, A Place for Everyone, which calls for 50 new units for income-burdened seniors. And I am happy to see this population prioritized with 32 new apartments! By incorporating elements that suit a variety of mobility styles Delmar Place will allow residents to be comfortable at home even in changing circumstances. The majority of funding for this was provided through LDCHA.
Commission Work Highlight
Mobile Integrated Health (MIH)
Douglas County sponsors a program through Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical (LDCFM) to address the underlying causes of frequent repeated ambulance calls to the same address. When I joined the firefighters of station 5 for a ride-along in February, this was one of the factors they pointed to that was helping to address burnout among firefighters.
Rather than only address immediate medical needs, the MIH team connects patients to resources that address the root cause of their distress. Since this program is supported by the county, any fire-medical department (volunteer or paid) in the county can sign up patients for this follow-up. Not only does this benefit patients, but it is a lower cost solution than repeatedly sending an ambulance. About ⅔ of the clients served are housed and about ⅓ are currently unhoused. Many of them are our seniors.
