Copyright 1999 The Columbus Dispatch
The Columbus
Dispatch
December 15, 1999, Wednesday
SECTION: EDITORIAL & COMMENT, Pg. 10A
LENGTH: 368 words
HEADLINE:
BROAD SUPPORT IS VITAL TO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
BODY:
At Children's Hospital we have much to be thankful for as part of a
community that has made providing quality health care to all its children a high
priority. This commitment is something truly special.
We are thankful
for the many individuals of this community who donate as much as they possibly
can to help heal children and keep them healthy. From schoolchildren collecting
pennies, to our community supporters and volunteers, to large donors, every gift
from the heart is appreciated and needed for the children. We are thankful for a
governor, state legislature, and city and county government leaders who have
placed children and prevention high, with initiatives that range from expanding
child health-care coverage to identifying uninsured children to supporting
poison-control centers.
And we are thankful to a Congress and president
who acted when an unintended, but serious, inequity in funding for
graduate medical education at independent children's hospitals
was brought to their attention. As Congress adjourned this year, it passed
legislation to authorize fixing this problem and to provide start-up funds for
the purpose of providing children's hospitals equitable funding with all other
teaching hospitals.
Rep. Deborah Pryce, R-Perry Township, and Sen. Mike
DeWine, R-Ohio, deserve special recognition. This problem could not have been
overcome without their leadership. We are appreciative of the other
representatives from Children's Hospital's service region: Reps. Dave Hobson,
R-Springfield, John Kasich, R- Westerville, Bob Ney, R-St. Clairsville, Mike
Oxley, R-Findlay, and Ted Strickland, D-Lucasville, for their co-sponsorship of
the graduate-medical- education bill and continuous efforts on
behalf of its success. This issue also had the strong support of President
Clinton and the first lady.
Finally, we are grateful to The Dispatch,
which has consistently made the case for placing a high priority on providing
access to health care for all the nation's children. The Dispatch has extended
this editorial support to children's hospitals' need for equity in
graduate-medical-education funding.
Dr. Thomas N.
Hansen
Children's Hospital
Columbus
LOAD-DATE: May 5, 2000 
