Guaranteed Healthcare

Nurses from Nevada and around the country  continued rolling through Western Nevada today as part of the “Drive for Healthcare Voters” tour, visiting the small towns of Gardnerville and  Fallon.

Day 2 of the tour was intense and emotional, as our healthcare outreach led to many conversations with voters about what is going through in their own lives. 

Our first stop was at Woodett's diner, the main joint in Gardnerville.  15 nurses, one gigantic wrapped bus with our report cards printed in 10-foot high letters, and a newspaper photographer.  Yep, we were a scene.  Nurses in scrubs fanned out in pairs and spoke to about 50 voters in our visit. 

The themes we heard in Gardnerville are similar to what we're hearing throughout Nevada:  people are hurting economically, deeply, today.  They told us stories of losing their jobs, and losing their healthcare.  Many of the older voters talked about their childhood, in harder economic times, that seem to have returned today.  We passed shuttered stores and houses for sale. 

Some of the people we talked to were angry about the direction of our country--and some were scared.   Some people pointed fingers at immigrants, but many more talked about a feeling of helplessness in the face of Washington D.C. and Wall Street, of politicians and businessmen on the take. 

Wherever they were coming from, almost every single person was receptive to our message, thanking us and blessing us, bonding with the nurses they knew were on their side.  People hugged the nurses, and encouraged us in our work, even those who did not agree with us.

Only a few were rude.  One physician and his wife, who deigned to speak with nurses, informed us that health care reform would only lead to waiting lines—and that we have to “draw the line somewhere” on who gets healthcare. 

A couple of young punks told us that they were working with the McCain campaign…and were made obviously uncomfortable when our nurse  Jill thanked them for their civic service and made them pose for a photograph with the nurses.   

From Gardnerville we rolled through the sagebrush and the high plains to another press event and another meeting with voters. 

This one, though, was different.   This was Fallon, Nevada…a symbol of our broken healthcare system and how it wastes innocent American lives. 

About a decade ago, a pediatric cancer cluster began to grow in Fallon, eventually striking 17 young children with a deadly form of leukemia.  Maybe it was the nearby Navy Air base, or maybe the nearby chemical plant. 

Either way, we put these kids in harm’s way…and then abandoned them when harm struck.  At least one of the youngsters died a few years ago, due to insurance company denials of care…the very denials that would end with HR 676 and guaranteed healthcare. 

The mood in Fallon was somber.  Our conversations with voters outside the hospital were shorter.  We were on hallowed ground there and we knew it.  We were fortunate and honored to be able to film an interview with one of the grassroots activists who had worked to bring justice to the children stricken by the cancer cluster.

We went to a nearby Wal-Mart afterwards to do more public outreach.  Management kicked us out of course…but not before whispering that they agreed with our report cards and asking for a spare to share with family. 

As we left the parking lot, one man came up to us and thanked us for giving him hope.  He said that while lots of groups go to Reno or Vegas to do outreach, they rarely take the time to go out into the small towns and rural areas.  But we were there, and he took it as a sign that good news was right around the corner. 

Tomorrow we head east to the town of Lovelock and Elko, where we will gather with nursing students to watch the final Presidential debate.