In less than two months, San Diego County will hold a special general election for a vacant seat in the county’s First Supervisorial District for the remainder of the current term.
In less than two months, San Diego County will hold a special general election for a vacant seat in the county’s First Supervisorial District for the remainder of the current term.
This is an important election for several reasons.
Potential budget cuts at the federal level for Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) would hurt all Californians’ ability to access health — no matter what type of coverage they have. How our local elected representatives respond will be critical to protecting health care for all.
No matter what unfolds at the federal level, health providers in San Diego and Imperial Valley must continue to confront pressing health care challenges — from overcrowded emergency departments and a growing demand for behavioral health services to workforce shortages — all of which require coordinated, local advocacy and strategic action.
As always, health care is a nonpartisan issue, but this upcoming race will determine the balance of power for the board of supervisors and play a role in the health care policies, funding, and regulations that materialize in the coming years.
That means hospitals must be deeply engaged with the candidates. Local elected officials must understand how their decisions will affect their constituents’ ability to access reliable, high-quality health care.
We plan to meet with both candidates this month to hear directly from them about their views on issues that are important to hospitals, and we will keep members posted on opportunities to engage.
And, for the first time, our newly formed HASD&IC Political Action Committee (PAC) may decide to make a contribution to a political candidate who understands the value hospitals bring to communities and will support policies that protect hospital care.
HASD&IC established the PAC last year after our board determined that it needed a greater voice in local politics to better represent our communities’ health care needs. Our PAC is off to a strong start — as of May 1, we’ve raised nearly $20,000 — and that number continues to grow.
This election reminds us all that making the hospital voice heard in local government is critical to supporting health care. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the PAC, which will be instrumental in supporting policymakers who care about what hospitals care about. If you haven’t yet, please consider helping us continue growing our advocacy efforts and political engagement by donating to the PAC today.