Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean told healthcare workers in Lebanon, New Hampshire today that mental healthcare will a priority if he is elected president. New Hampshire Public Radio?s Raquel Maria Dillon reports.
The doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center weren?t all Dean supporters, but they were eager to hear from the doctor-turned-governor. Many of them probably knew Dr. Dean from his internal medicine practice outside of Burlington, VT. And he was clearly comfortable talking to his colleagues.
DEAN :23 As a doctor I can do a lot as prez, talking about these issues in an open way, in the same way that I talk about other issues we need to address that aren?t being addressed. Seuxality, the use of condoms, which the president doesn?t seem to think is part of HIV/AIDS prevention. Those things doctors have an advantage in talking about because we don?t get all weak-kneed. LAUGHTER
The Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center has invited all the presidential hopefuls to pitch their healthcare policies to the clinic?s medical staff. So by choosing to focus on mental health, Dean was making a statement.
He said federal and state agencies aren?t getting their money?s worth for 70 Billion dollars spent each year on mental health treatment.
DEAN :16 As access to health insurance has declined for all but the wealthiest of Americans, mental health care has been pushed to the bottom of the barrel. The result has been treatable illnesses turning into serious health crises and too many working people being driven into poverty and homelessness.
Dean says early intervention and community care can keep those people from slipping through the cracks. There are lots of good models to choose from, he says, the key is to think long-term.
DEAN :20 we have to think about a 20 year cycle, not a 2 and 4 year cycle to correspond with the length of politician?s terms. If we?re going to talk about mental illness, children?s mental illness, school, prison population ? all of which are related ? the investment needs to be made now.
Dean says he?d support a federal law that would require health insurers to treat mental and physical illnesses the same. In Vermont, he supported and later signed a mental health parity act. He?d push for school-based mental health screening and integrating mental healthcare with other social services to keep people off the streets and off drugs.
DEAN :13 if you want to reduce the prison pop in our country, we?ve got to start thinking about substance abuse as a medical problem, public health problem, and not a criminal problem.
FADE OUT APPLAUSE
Advocates for mental health welcomed Dean?s speech. They say the solutions he proposes aren?t new, but never before has a presidential candidate put so much emphasis on mental health. Bill Emmett is the coordinator of the Campaign for Mental Health Reform.
EMMETT :16 he launched mental health issues in to the presidential campaign. Recognizing that our failure to provide services really results in a whole of other social problems.
Dean said he wanted to help doctors practice good medicine. And that impressed many of the doctors and nurses in the audience. It might have won him some votes, but Dr. Lewis Kazal, medical director of the Community Health Center at Dartmouth, says there are other issues to consider besides healthcare ? he?s worried about national security and the economy too.
KAZAL :18 given our situation in Iraq and foreign affairs, dominate issues. Today?s topic is imp. But I?m not sure that physicians would automatically support Gov dean b/c he?s a physician. Added advantage. Able to speak to key issues that interfere with doctor patient relationship that other candidates can?t appreciate.
The rest of the presidential candidates are scheduled to speak at Dartmouth-Hitchcock?s Health Policy Grand Rounds later in the Fall.
For NHPR News, I?m RMD.
Listen to Dr. Dean's speech here.
