Letters to the Editor for March 23

Are we really doing this to us?

Sure, the economy is up and certain segments of our great society are suffering windfall. That’s swell for them, but appears to me the rest of us are becoming what we would hope not to become. Our government once sequestered Native Americans to homeless conditions bereft of whence they came. Present day we are slowly doing the same to our own, meaning middle America and the less fortunate among us – the folks of low income, myself included.

Not a federal employee, I felt sorely empathetic to their plight during 2019’s great shutdown. How many of that unfortunate group suffered? Dare I say all? Perhaps their first time sensing the sting of instability we all feel to some degree. Would that be from some vague karmic influence? Have we wrought this to ourselves?

I fear the disappearance of an age – so called America’s Golden Years, meaning the “front porch neighbor mentality” of pre and post World War II. Once, America had the gates open at Ellis Island, now we struggle with mounting fears and insecurities vetting migrants.

I envision homeless encampments of the future to be as large as border detentions, harking back to the release of Cuban refugees in Miami (1980 Mariel boatlift); a similar influx of an émigré invasion. But now, we as a nation are accepting the predicament of homelessness as a problematic ding on our collective record, and as well, a blight on our collective conscience – a liability of moral consequence.

New effort to address oral health issues connected to pregnancy, diabetes

A new oral health program that started in Thurston County can help improve the health and lives of pregnant women, their babies, and people with diabetes. How it fares could help determine whether the Legislature expands the program to other parts of the state.

The Legislature directed the Washington State Health Care Authority in cooperation with the non-profit Arcora Foundation to develop and implement Oral Health Connections (OHC), a pilot project in Thurston, Spokane and Cowlitz counties.

Oral Health Connections will connect lower-income pregnant women and people with diabetes who are insured through Apple Health (Medicaid) with dental care providers in their local communities.

Oral Health Connections focuses on pregnant women because poor oral health is associated with preterm labor, low birth weight babies, and other complications. Mothers with newborns are often not aware that they can pass cavity-causing germs to their babies, which increases the chances that their babies will develop cavities. People with diabetes are included because oral infection may make it more difficult for them to eat properly and control their blood sugar, which can increase the need for hospitalizations.

The hope is that in addition to helping protect their health, oral health care for pregnant women and people with diabetes will help reduce the cost of health care, which is ultimately borne by everyone. As a community, we all benefit when people are healthy, and this must include good oral health.

This story was originally published March 21, 2019 at 3:26 PM.