Rep. Daphne Campbell Focuses on Health Issues

Rep. Bill Hager, R-Boca Raton, is not the only freshman in the House focusing on health-care and health-related issues. His fellow freshman Rep. Daphne Campbell, D-Miami, who is a registered nurse. established a task force to focus on health-care needs in her district which covers part of Miami-Dade County.

As a nurse for 30 years, I recognize the great need for better access to quality health care for all Floridians, said Campbell. It is my goal to champion the health-care concerns of my community, and through my service in the state House of Representatives, I hope to bring to Tallahassee increased awareness of health-care issues.

Campbell called for state-mandated screening and monitoring of children's health.

Prevention of chronic conditions and promotion of lifelong health will minimize the reliance on emergency rooms for primary care, added Campbell. Services for children with special health-care needs and their families should be organized in ways that families can use them easily. Access to health care should be easy, patient-friendly, cost-effective, and readily available. Families of children should be satisfied with the services they receive.

Campbells task force will be chaired by Jennifer Townsend, the CEO of Health Management Ventures and includes Mayor Daisy Black of El Portal.

This is the second time Campbell has made waves in December. She came out swinging in favor of the DREAM Act, urging members of Congress to back it.

Its often hard for new members of the House to get attention -- there are 120 members, after all -- but Hager and Campbell are off to good starts.