This is a letter to the editor published in the Northwest Herald on July 6, 2017
To the Editor:
Over the next few weeks, our news will be filled with discussions regarding access to health care. Our board at the Family Health Partnership Clinic welcomes these discussions, as they bring to light the enormous economic, business and public health cost associated with not having access to high-quality health care.
For more than 21 years, the Family Health Partnership Clinic has been providing low-cost services to those who would otherwise go without health care. As a recipient of Charity Navigator’s Four Star Charity rating four years in a row, we work to ensure that our dollars are spent wisely. But we also recognize the need is much greater than nonprofits like ours can provide. There are more than 20,000 people in McHenry County who do not have insurance, and many more who cannot access the insurance they do have.
As we debate the future of health care in our country, Family Health Partnership Clinic will continue to play a valuable role in the health of our community. But we are only a part of the solution.
Melissa J. Cooney
Board president, Family Health Partnership Clinic
