The SEIU Local 1991 sponsored Our Jackson! Blue Ribbon Task Force, a grassroots organization made up of community leaders, joined forces with UP-PAC (Unrepresented People Political Action Committee) to hold a well-attended community forum at the Greater Bethel Baptist Church last Saturday to discuss recent cuts to patient care access. Over 150 concerned Miami Dade County residents participated in the event, which is the first in a series of public forums that will be held in neighborhoods throughout Miami-Dade.
Many Jackson patients testified about reduced access to adequate care for uninsured residents in recent months. “Mr. Migoya is getting praise for balancing the budget but no one is talking about the dirty little secret that is allowing him to do that,” said Patricia Ireland, Esq., a member of the Blue Ribbon Task Force. “We heard today from caregivers and patients that the care to those who cannot pay is being curtailed. That is a violation of Jackson’s mission.”
“Our community must rise up and say NO!,” said State Representative Sharon Pitchett, who hosted the event on behalf of UP-PAC. “Money is a powerful motivator; healthcare to those in our community who can’t afford it cannot be pushed aside so that some company can make a profit.”
Other Blue Ribbon Task Force members who listened to testimony and commented included Dr. Bernd Wolfschlager, Bernadette Pardo, Tony Jeanthenor, Reverend Richard Dunn, Dr. Flor Lindor-Latorture and Dr. David Woolsey.
The testimony was recorded by a court reporter and on video so that the findings from these forums can be used to issue a report
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