Admiral Rachel L.

Levine, MD,
Assistant Secretary for Health
Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201

Dear Dr. Levine,

I am writing you regarding the issue of equal access to healthcare. I would like to know
what we the people can do to bring an equal healthcare access initiation to fruition. I have
witnessed many injustices throughout my life, especially through my experience in the
healthcare field. This is a topic that I feel compelled to pursue and found the following statement
worded perfectly in the book Care by G. Scott Morris “Many issues have been dividing lines for
many years that shouldn’t be. What are we going to do about them now that the pandemic made
this truth so crystal clear to us? Can we the people of faith pick up that thread and carry it
forward with a broader view of equity in health care because the pandemic has given us a lens
we didn’t expect to see?” (Morris, 2022)
I know this is not an easy task but as one of the strongest nations in the world we should have a
healthcare system that is inclusive of all of our citizens and not just to the wealthy. I know we
can do better, and I would love to be a part of our solution. I have many ideas but one of them
includes controlling the business aspect of healthcare. Healthcare was created to provide care for
the sick and aging not to find the cheapest way to treat a patient and kick them to the curb. There
should be limits on charges and more transparency. I work in healthcare administration and in
some my positions I have seen staff torn on doing what is right versus maximizing revenue. This
has caused a mass exodus of healthcare professionals, especially nurses and physicians. Yes, the
positions are lucrative, but the main reason most nurses and physicians go into healthcare is to
care for people. If they cannot feel good about the care they are giving because of corporate
greed, they will simply go elsewhere or change fields all together. We will not have enough
healthcare providers to care for the poor or the wealthy.
I have read many books, articles, and research on this topic, but I found the book “Care How
people of faith can respond to our broken health system” an interesting and care driven book.
We need to humanize healthcare; we need to do what we were called to do, and this book puts it
in a faith filled perspective. “Jesus healed the people whose legs were lame, whose ears were
deaf, whose eyes were blind whose skin was leprous, whose spirits were demon possessed. He
even healed dead people. Jesus cared about bodies because he cared about the whole person in
relationship to God. Living a life of faith in the body is not just for Jesus. God wants this for us
all.” This book is filled with stories and outcomes that we can relate to and see different
perspectives and ways to respond.
In my research of reasons for barriers to healthcare I found the following article “Top Challenges
Impacting Patient Access to Healthcare” “The high cost of healthcare, particularly high out-of-
pocket patient costs, is a well-documented care access barrier. When patients cannot afford
medical care or find themselves choosing between medical care and paying for other utilities like
rent, mortgage, or food, they often go without healthcare access.” (Heath, 2022) This
unfortunately is more common than you would think, and it breaks my heart. I witnessed this
frequently throughout my career in healthcare. Patients would put off preventable care or cancer
related follow ups due to cost either for the care or transportation. This was more obvious
through the peak of the pandemic with the loss of jobs and benefits and increased fuel costs but
has not shown signs of improvement.

As a Catholic I follow the Catholic Social Teaching or CST. I believe CST fostered my need to
get involved in the much-needed change in healthcare. “Life and Dignity of the Human
Person- We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than
things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life
and dignity of the human person. Call to Family, Community, and Participation -We
believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the
common good and well-being of all, especially poor and vulnerable people. Rights and
Responsibilities- every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things
required for human decency. Preferential Option for the Poor -In a society marred by
deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition instructs us to put the needs of
poor and vulnerable people first. The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers -If the
dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected.
Solidarity-We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and
ideological differences. Care for God’s Creation- We are called to protect people and the
planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation”.  I believe in these
teachings with all of my heart, and I hope together with others that believe everyone
deserves fair and equal care we can be the change that our country so desperately needs.

I have been in healthcare for over 30 years, and I have witnessed a steep decline of healthcare
access to equal quality care, medical care coverage by insurance companies, and an increase in
the cost of healthcare, discrimination, and medical mistakes. This issue is not going away, and
people only seem to care if this affects them directly. Proper healthcare should not be exclusive
to wealthy. Please educate me on what is being done to rectify this injustice and guide me on
ways I can help foster change.

I appreciate your care and consideration regarding this issue and thank you for your valuable
time. Blessings to you and your dedication to bettering the lives of others.

Allison Rourke
a.rourke@setonhill.edu
Care: How People of Faith Can Respond to Our Broken Health System
Morris, S. G.  (2022). Care How people of faith can respond to our broken health system. Eerdmans.

Catholic Community Services, Catholic Housing Services – Serving People of all beliefs
https://ccsww.org/about-us/catholic-social-teaching/

Heath, S. (2022, February 22) Top challenges impacting patient access to healthcare, Patient Engagement
https://patientengagementhit.com/news/top-challenges-impacting-patient-access-to-healthcar