Concerns about health care are part of what motivates me to support Dick Woodbury in Senate District 11. As a physician who has practiced medicine for 35 years, I have witnessed the wonderful advances and benefits it has brought. Yet I also recognize its two most troubling aspects: the ever-increasing cost of care, now almost completely unaffordable for many of our citizens, and the disappointing health care outcomes it has yielded.

The national health-care reform package is only a partial and imperfect solution.  There is much work to be done, and it will require the collaboration of everyone across the political spectrum – at the national and state levels. Dick Woodbury sees real opportunities in this changing landscape for Maine to promote health insurance competition, improve public health, and encourage cost-reducing innovation in health-care financing and delivery.

Dick’s background as an economist and his ability to make sense of complex systems will, no doubt, be helpful. But what Dick also uniquely brings to the table is his ability to lead people of differing opinions and political perspectives toward common ground and practical, affordable solutions. He earned respect for his collaborative leadership in three terms in the House, and he can do the same in the Senate.

Faced with the daunting difficulties health care presents, we cannot wait on the sidelines for partisan bickering to finish running its course. We need independent thinkers and leaders who can successfully navigate the challenging path. We need Dick Woodbury. 

Dr. John O. Vogt
Falmouth

Copy the Story Link