Dr. Jason Kristowski (Emergency Medicine Physician) – talking of public health perspectives of this bill
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California predated GA on a lot of these issues—Fed law trumps any state law to entitle any person on US soil to medical care.
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Our ER’s are overwhelmed… more and more are uninsured – more aliens coming – more hospitals closing – where do they go. And we are overwhelmed
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Rogers said Georgia is largest producer of poultry … this industry is run heavily by undocumented aliens using fake social security cards paying taxes for benefits they will never see.
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When avian flu comes – it will come via workers working with sick birds. I know communicable diseases not included – but people come with wheeze and cough – not communicable disease – so what will happen is epidemic that exceeds are radar
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I don’t want healthcare to be included – it should be excluded. Immigrants are part of our community whether we like it or not.
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I went to Med school because I wanted to help people – I think it is moral responsibility to help the sickness… But, under this bill, that could be the case…
Dr. George Rust, professor of Social Medicine at Morehouse
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Kemp: Please skip over same comments
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I have tremendous amount of experience caring for immigrant populations
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I’d like to suggest that this bill has important negative consequences for health of all Georgians..
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Comments confined to health impact: Research – 50% of ER visits are primary care preventable conditions. But this bill parses out what care is applicable to illegal immigrants with some arrogance that we can parse out the care in such a way as to not hurt someone.
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Requiring docs, may create barrier to care for those that forget to bring their “papers� that day… so the treatment is delayed that muc longer
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If you must pass the bill – delete all references to health – it is not necessary to support other reasons for this bill. You won’t know a patient has a communicable disease until they examine the patient.
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You should also exclude health as you don’t need another layer of bureaucracy – we don’t need more paperwork…
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And if you pass with health references – don’t ask us to enforce. These students here have not practiced in a time when there were separate waiting rooms and segregated hospital wings. We have determined we won’t be part of it again.
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Dr. Mercado (sp?)
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Pediatrician for 15 years… comments are similar. As a physician for grady – Health and Immigration should not be combined…. Main point is I am a physician – I want to treat them not deal with barriers
Jesus Limus
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I am Fulton County Resident – 3rd year at UCLA with MBA at Emory. Am son of illegal immigrants who become legal in 1987. I am story of achieving American dream…
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Georgia has 280,000 undocumented illegal immigrants – I oppose this bill as it will have devastating impact on illegal aliens. In terms of my nine siblings and me—we had immunization shots because my mother trusted American doctors.
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When I treat – I see a brother or sister – not a legal or illegal alien
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Many recent immigrants help make this country a better place.
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With your support – more parents will get support, like mine, who will raise healthy children, Americans by birth, who are Americas future