by Michelle Moreno
LA County Supervising RN
California is facing its biggest economic crisis, but the Governor’s budget cuts will create an even bigger disaster for our most vulnerable patients.
As a nurse supervisor at Rancho Los Amigos Rehabilitation Center, I care for children with spinal and brain injuries and adults disabled by stroke. They are the most extreme cases, patients who were shot, severely injured in car accidents or paralyzed. Most of our patients are covered by state and local health programs, the very programs the Governor proposes to snatch from thousands of children and families. Can you even imagine what would happen if we left just one of our patients to fend for themselves?
We’re already feeling the effects of budget crisis. Our patient load is skyrocketing; more people are getting sick and becoming uninsured, while our staff shrinks and our equipment falls short. It’s ridiculous that while we hand out tax breaks to rich corporations, we cut services on the backs of the most vulnerable. We need to take a closer look at our budget and find better solutions. If you really crunch the numbers, it’s the health and wellness of every person in this state at risk.