Let’s Work to Keep Health Clinics Open

As a foreign legal worker recently arrived with my family in L.A. County, I found a local county health-care clinic, with services such as physicals and vaccine updates for my kids, 3 and 6, to be good and free of charge. I can’t understand how the county would not spare such an excellent facility and dedicated personnel without considering options.

For instance, allow the clinic’s management to get its own financial support, such as charging patients reasonable fees, or ask the entire community to pledge money--the same way quality public radio and TV do. As for myself, I can’t afford $150 for a vaccine shot, but I’m pretty sure I can pay $25; I could make the effort of paying $25, or even more, on a monthly basis in order to keep the clinic open. Wouldn’t everyone?

Francisco Blancas

Sylmar