The delegation chose to visit Ravenswood to get a sense of the role of community health centers in increasing access to health care in California’s multi-cultural society. The delegation began their visit with a tour of the very busy clinic facility led by RFHC CEO Luisa Buada. She then gave a presentation on the clinic’s medical and health education services, patient population, and funding sources. Luisa engaged the delegation in a lively Q&A session. The committee members asked questions about a wide range of topics such as the prevalence of tuberculosis and asthma in the community and cultural sensitivity strategies. Luisa explained hot issues such as the challenges presented by the US’s nursing shortage, and CFO Wayne Yost gave a short overview of the complexity of billing to multiple public insurance programs, each with their own regulations.

At the end of the session, the delegation thanked the clinic for its hospitality with a sterling silver elephant figurine. The elephant symbol has long been part of the cultural fabric of Denmark, and according to Denmark’s official state website, the Order of the Elephant is the highest Danish order of chivalry and is always headed by the nation’s monarch.

After leaving Ravenswood, they traveled to San Francisco to meet the City’s health care representatives. The Minister and Health Committee’s trip also took them to Sacramento, where they met with the State’s Public Health Officer, Dr. Mark Horton, and the Senate Health Committee. The delegation also met with representatives of Kaiser Permanente, Pacific Research Institute, California Pacific Medical Center, Health Care For All, and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. In addition, they met with health care specialists at Berkeley and Stanford Universities.

Beginning January 2007, Denmark’s current 15 regional health authorities will be reduced to five. In Denmark today, 85% of their free public health care system is financed through county-owned hospitals.