Access to Coverage Leads to Access to Care

By Luciana McGuire

With only a few days remaining before our journey to National Association of Children’s Hospitals (N.A.C.H.) Family Advocacy Day in Washington D.C., our family is excited to be meeting with lawmakers and other families as we spread our message to protect pediatric care in the face of growing budget concerns.

We’re eager to be a part of N.A.C.H. Family Advocacy Day because it’s an excellent opportunity for us to show everyone how great the children’s hospitals are and what they can do for our kids.

Over the past year, our family has learned the importance of good doctors and good hospitals. Last July our 7 year-old daughter Ariana was injured in a bow and arrow accident at a friend’s house. She was rushed to the Level I Trauma Center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital where she was treated by a full range of pediatric subspecialists at The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital (BMSCH). The arrow had severed her middle cerebral artery, which deprived the left side of the brain of blood flow and caused a massive stroke.  After twelve surgeries at BMSCH, followed by eight weeks of comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation at PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital, Ariana learned to walk and talk again.

Many of the people we encountered during our time at the hospital weren’t sure if Ariana would make it. But she fought for her life, and if it hadn’t been for the skilled pediatricians and therapists that took care of Ariana, I know she wouldn’t have made it. Words can’t even express how grateful we are that her doctors had the knowledge and expertise to provide the extensive care she so desperately needed. We hope that sharing our story will help policy makers recognize the need to protect and preserve quality health care for kids.

Because of our journey, there are so many things I want to talk to legislators about that affect the quality of pediatric care in the United States. 

Although decades of advocacy have yielded strides that have improved children’s access to coverage, the infrastructure that ensures access to care has suffered serious blows in 2011. The Obama Administration’s fiscal year 2012 budget calls on Congress to eliminate funding for the Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education Program (CHGME), a federal program that helps children’s hospitals train 40 percent of all pediatricians and nearly half of all pediatric specialists.

In addition, proposals to slash funding for Medicaid, the largest health care program for children in the country, have gained traction. Congres s is discussing proposals to cut the program’s funding by $1 trillion over the next decade and impose a cap on the amount the federal government can contribute.

Our family learned first-hand just how critical it is to have access to quality health care and quality pediatricians. God forbid your child faces a tragic situation like Ariana did, they need to have all the best equipment and doctors available to them. Because of the phenomenal treatment Ariana received at the Children’s Specialized Hospital, she is able to be a vivacious, energetic 8 year-old who is making progress more and more each day.

Comments

[Laura Almerino]

Hi McGuire family..

I wish you the best of luck in Washington.Your story is touching and you need to share it to show others how important children healthcare is..As a pediatric nurse we all need to stand together on this fight..

Laura

[Adriana Mendes-Fontes]

Ariana is going to Washington!!!

[Gabby Provenzano]

Hi McGuire Family,
I wish you all the best of luck in Washington. I am sure you will do great! I want to thank you guys for letting our congressmen and senators know how important childrens healthcare is.

Gabby Provenzano