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News > Newsletter Articles > 2012
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The Long View: Health Care, Human Services Day
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The beginning of the day felt very positive. We all had the opportunity to get our blood pressure, cholesterol and bone density checked. We learned about exciting partnerships happening such as the partnership between Buehler’s and Cleveland Clinic Foundation to label Buehler’s foods that are CCF-approved as a “Go!” product.
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Even when we heard the message about America’s increase in obesity, cancer, stroke and heart disease, the underlying message was – this can be fixed. Furthermore, we can be part of the solution just by being healthier and instilling healthier habits in our families. It was exactly a new message, but it’s one that needs to be told and heard over and over again until we start to see change in the right direction.
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Couple that with learning how the three hospitals in our county have managed to break even or turn a profit in a prolonged financial downturn and healthcare crisis, Medina County seems like a pretty great place to live and work.
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Moving on to the Western Reserve Masonic Community for lunch at a beautiful retirement and assisted living facility, we learned that we’re also going to soon be meeting the needs of an underserved population of elderly stricken with Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia.
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Then came the poverty simulation. And the positive energy was sucked out of the group … as it should have.
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Everyone learned something through this exercise. Even those of us who claim to be the most enlightened. Even those of us who think we could manage a strict budget and do without all luxuries. Except for the brave souls who admitted to living in poverty at some point in life, we all learned that it truly is a hard life. If living in poverty isn’t a full time job, it’s a second job on top of the job that provides income. There really is no such thing as a handout. All that is provided free of cost comes with a price – usually time.
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Though the information about health is drastically different from the information about providing human services, the factor that holds the two together is also time. It took a long time to get to where we are, and it will take a long time to get to where we need to be. But change has to begin somewhere. It might as well be here.
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