Election 2009

I-033 will greatly impact health care

I would like to express my deep concerns on how proposed Initiative 1033 will directly affect our local health care and the patients we serve.

As you know, hospitals rely on state funding and were hit hard by this year’s round of legislative budget cuts. I-1033 would make the recent cuts — in this time of severe economic recession — permanent. If I-1033 is enacted by voters, no new investments or restoration of past cuts can occur. Because health care funding is not constitutionally protected, hospitals and health care services also would be a major target for future reductions.

The state’s office of Financial Management estimates I-1033 would eliminate $5.9 billion in general fund revenues over the next six years, leading hospitals to sustain enormous financial losses. These losses will result in fewer caregivers for our patients. Fewer caregivers mean less opportunity for patient education, longer wait times for people who need care, overcrowded emergency rooms and difficulties in receiving necessary follow-up care.

I-1033 will have a profound and lasting impact on health care jobs, quality of care, and vital health services right here in our local community. For more information about I-1033, please visit the Washington State Hospital Association’s Web site at www.wsha.org.

Thank you for considering the facts about this important issue.

SCOTT W. BOSCH

President and CEO, Harrison Medical Center