Our Breast Health Care Program
The refusal
An unmet need in Orange County
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
First sex ed, now breast cancer testing and treatment. Demand that the county step up for women's health.
We're sending you back to the supervisors. Technically, the Health Care Agency has denied our grant submission, so the board can claim they never saw our proposal and will never have to vote on it. We want you to demand that they finally step up for health care in Orange County, review our proposed Breast Health Care Program and vote to approve it.
1. Call.
Click here for your supervisors' contact information.
Hi my name is _______, and I live in __________. I am concerned by the decision of the county's Health Care Agency to refuse funding for Planned Parenthood's breast health program.
Under your stewardship this county has repeatedly cut health care services, and instead of working with community partners to strengthen the county's safety net, you are limiting their ability to deliver services to their clients. Your health care agency is closing the door to a program that could save hundreds of lives.
Each year, 7% of Orange County breast cancer diagnoses are in women under 40. The mortality rate among these women is disproportionately high; they are two and a half times as likely to succumb to the disease as women diagnosed at age 70.
Please don't play politics with the lives of our mothers, daughters and sisters, push technicalities aside and fund Planned Parenthood's breast health program. It is time for you to take responsibility for the health care of the county. Tell the Health Care Agency to bring this grant up for a vote.
2. E-mail.
Click here for your supervisors' contact information.
Dear Supervisor (name of supervisor),
I am writing today because I am concerned by the decision of the county's Health Care Agency to refuse funding for Planned Parenthood's breast health program.
It is bad enough that, because of your ideology, you are denying teens access to information they need to make informed decisions and lead a healthy life, but to turn your back on women with breast cancer is unconscionable.
Under your stewardship this county has repeatedly cut health care services, and instead of working with community partners to ensure the county's safety net, you are limiting their ability to deliver services to their clients. These young women have limited resources and your health care agency is closing the door to a program that could save hundreds of lives.
Each year, 7% of Orange County breast cancer diagnoses are in women under 40. The mortality rate among these women is disproportionately high; they are two and a half times as likely to succumb to the disease as women diagnosed at age 70, because there are no resources available to them.
It is unconscionable that you would undermine health care at a time when women and families are already finding it difficult to get basic health care. The economy is in trouble and people are losing their jobs, which means they are losing their health care.
Please don't play politics with the lives of our mothers, daughters and sisters, push technicalities aside and fund Planned Parenthood's breast health program. It is time for you to take responsibility for the health care of the county. Tell the Health Care Agency to bring this grant up for a vote.
Sincerely,
(Name)
(Address)
3. Contact the Health Care Agency.
Let's not let the HCA off the hook either. They're the ones who've denied our grant, even though we made every attempt to comply with the last-minute policy changes implemented by the supervisors just days before grants were due.
Contact HCA's interim director, Dave Riley, and tell him that his agency is failing to truly care for the health of the county if it's denying breast cancer testing and treatment for women who have nowhere else to go.
EMAIL SCRIPT
Dear Mr. Riley,
I am writing because I am concerned by the decision of your agency to refuse funding for Planned Parenthood's breast health program.
Your agency has continually cut back services for the uninsured people in Orange County. Every time a cut has been made to woman's health programs your agency has turned to Planned Parenthood and asked them to serve the people you have abandoned.
Since 2001 there have been 11,261 women diagnosed with breast cancer in the county. Once again, Planned Parenthood is stepping up to deliver a much needed service and now your agency is impeding Planned Parenthood from delivering quality care.
Your agency has already failed to do its job, the least you could do is let the board of supervisors vote on this issue. Don't make a decision that would deny women access to breast cancer care. Authorize Planned Parenthood's grant to go to a vote.
Sincerely,
(Name)
PHONE SCRIPT
Hi my name is __________. I am concerned by the decision of the county’s Health Care Agency to refuse funding for Planned Parenthood’s breast health program.
Your agency has continually cut back services for the uninsured people in Orange County. Every time a cut has been made to woman’s health care program your agency has turned to Planned Parenthood and asked them to do your job for you.
Since 2001 there have been 11,261 women diagnosed with breast cancer in the county. Once again, Planned Parenthood is stepping in to fill the void your agency has ignored and you are denying them access.
Please don’t play politics with the lives of our mothers, daughters and sisters, push technicalities aside and fund Planned Parenthood’s breast health program. It is time for you to take responsibility for the health care of the county. Tell the Health Care Agency to bring this grant up for a vote.
District 1
Janet Nguyen
janet.nguyen@ocgov.com
714.834.3110
Cities in district: East Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Westminster
District 2
John Moorlach
district2@ocgov.com
714.834.3220
Cities in district: Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, West Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Seal Beach, Stanton
District 3
Bill Campbell
bill.campbell@ocgov.com
714.834.3330
Cities in district: Anaheim Hills, Brea, Irvine, Orange, Tustin, Villa Park, Yorba Linda
District 4
Chris Norby
chris.norby@ocgov.com
714.834.3440
Cities in district: West Anaheim, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, Placentia
District 5
Patricia C. Bates
(Board Chair)
patbates@ocgov.com
714.834.3550
Cities in district: Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano
Contact the Health Care Agency
Dave Riley
Interim director of the Health Care Agency
driley@ochca.com
714.834.6017
