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Bailey expands leadership
role with new task force appointment, special committee assignments
Rep. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak
Harbor, has been appointed by House Speaker Frank Chopp to serve on a
new legislative task force and reappointed to two other special
legislative committees.
Bailey, ranking Republican
on the House Health Care Committee, picks up a new appointment as a
member of the Certificate of Need Task Force.
A Department of Health
certificate of need is required prior to construction, renovation, or
sale of a health care facility; changes in bed capacity at certain
health care facilities; an increase in the number of dialysis stations
at a kidney disease center or the addition of specialized health
services.
“There’s a growing controversy related to issuance of certificates of
need between hospitals and clinics that provide specialty services and
those general clinics that serve the entire population,” said Bailey. “I
want to make sure that citizens in both the 10th District and throughout
Washington have access to affordable health care. That’s why we need to
investigate the entire certificate of need process.”
The task force,
established through House Bill 1688, will study the program and make
recommendations for improvements to the Legislature by November 2006.
Bailey was also reappointed to the Joint Legislative and Executive Task
Force on Mental Health Services Delivery and Financing.
“This task force was first
created in 2004 to investigate financing alternatives for mental health
which could make up for federal Medicaid reductions anticipated at the
beginning of this year, and to also review delivery of mental health
services in Washington,” said Bailey. “As we looked into the delivery of
those services, we realized there was a great deal more work that needed
to be done. My goal on this committee is to make sure that
administrative costs remain low and the dollars allocated to mental
health get to the people who need the services, including those in our
district.”
This year, the mental
health task force was extended until June 30, 2007 under House Bill
1290, and given responsibilities for the reorganization of the community
mental health system.
Bailey, whose district
includes the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Oak Harbor, was also
reappointed to the Joint Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs. The
committee was created in 2001 to study issues relating to veterans,
active military forces, the National Guard, the Reserves, the Military
Department, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“We are fortunate that the
Base Realignment and Closure Commission passed over most of our active
military installations including Whidbey Naval Air Station and the
Everett Home Base. However, it still concerns me that we didn’t
completely escape the BRAC process with the closures or consolidations
of some of our reserve centers,” said Bailey. “I plan to continue
working to make sure we protect all of our military installations from
closures. In addition, we need to constantly look at improving services
for our veterans and provide for their needs. This is especially
important as more veterans, able-bodied and disabled, come home from the
Iraq war.”
This year, the committee
was made permanent under House Bill 1261.
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For more information, contact:
John
Handy, Assistant Director: (360) 786-5758
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