Dear Editor,
Amidst dismal news of the finances of Vermont health care, I was pleased to read the Valley News front-page article highlighting the work of the community nurses in the Upper Valley. Their services have a positive effect on health care costs by avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations.
Legislators considering health reform in S.126 should incorporate strong support for community nurses and care coordinators in their work. Windsor County legislators are leading the way with H.140 and S.33. These bills elevate community nurses and community care coordinators by directing grants to local communities.
Home visits and sustained contact are important. Interpreting physician and hospital directives improve patient compliance. It’s a little like agricultural extension agents who make scientific information accessible for farmers and gardeners. By making these local health care extension agents a handy resource for every community, we will reduce the burden on hospitals and guide residents to care that might prevent serious illness.
Locally supported community nurses could be integrated into the Community Health Teams that are part of the Blueprint for Health for Vermont, fortifying that framework. The Blueprint’s Community Health Workers — who are not nurses — are supported within the Blueprint by nurses. Nurses and non-nurses fulfill similar functions in helping people navigate the health system.
With a relatively small investment, we improve Vermonters’ health. At the same time, incorporating the ideas of H.140 and S.33 into health reform would improve the health system’s fiscal outlook.
Jon Felde
Norwich
