Clinic will serve a valuable purpose

Jean Forbath

There have been several letters lately in the Pilot from people

who say they are only concerned with the betterment of Costa Mesa.

Their Web site has also gotten a lot of attention. However, their

primary focus seems to be exclusive instead of inclusive. Code

enforcement, better schools, traffic relief and effective public

safety are all commendable goals, but so are decent affordable

housing for those who live and work in our city, adequate health care

for all of our children and a tolerance of those who may not speak,

look, act or believe “just like us.”

Unfortunately, a new target is the proposed lease between the

Newport-Mesa Unified School District and Children’s Hospital of

Orange County (Closer Look, “Rea plan becomes center of debate,”

Monday).

CHOC hopes to open a clinic in Costa Mesa to serve the children in

our city in need of their extraordinary services. A recent county

needs assessment found thousands of children in Orange County without

health insurance -- hundreds of them in Costa Mesa.

Without insurance or money to pay for care, parents often wait too

long to get help and end up in emergency rooms. CHOC’s clinic would

provide not only care for sick children but preventive care as well.

Our school district stepped up to the plate and offered space

adjacent to Rea School for this most-needed service.

Opponents claim once again the Westside is being impacted by

“another charity.” Unfortunately, that’s where the needs are and

that’s where there is adequate and appropriate space for this clinic.

The fear of additional traffic is a valid concern, but 40 visits a

day (projected patient load) would add probably 25 cars -- not having

cars, many would walk or take the bus. These trips would be spread

out over eight to 10 hours. Not a tremendous traffic burden.

Another argument is that there are already enough clinics in the

area. The Save Our Selves clinic is impacted with very sick and

chronically ill patients and cannot provide the amount of preventive

care needed. They have the services of volunteer pediatricians on a

sporadic basis and would welcome CHOC to the area. The other clinics

are for profit and most of these families cannot pay their fees. They

also do not specialize in children.

My challenge is to those who want Costa Mesa to be a better

community -- what better reality could you bring to a community than

needed health care to all our children? Drop your opposition to this

project and support our school district in this very courageous and

generous offer.

* JEAN FORBATH is a Costa Mesa resident who founded the nonprofit

Share Our Selves.