Patients Rights in Douglas County Oregon

This blog, Douglas County Patients Rights, is part of Oregon Patients Rights Association efforts to bring about systemic change in the way health care services are provided in our rural community. We are particularly interested in providing a way to insure access and accountability for medical services being provided by the use of taxpayer money. This includes federal tax dollars that are given to support local health clinics, as well as taxpayer money that comes to individual providers, groups, or organizations through Medicare and Medicaid.

Our growing group of volunteers is committed to learning and sharing information that will arm folks so they can challenge practices that we believe are abusive and violate the rights of patients, including those with disabilities. We are about helping individual patients become empowered to take a stand about health care choices without the risk of being retaliated against, but more importantly we are about helping people take control of their health care and not allow a small group of paternalistic health care wonks to control it for us.

The issues we will discuss here are not just about health care, they are about freedom and inalienable rights to decide for ourselves matters related to our own lives. They are about the fundamental rights we all believe in in this country.