On Saturday, August 4, 2007, California Assemblyman Mike Davis, 48th District, held a Health Care and Crime Prevention Town Hall Meeting at the California Science Center in Exposition Park.   

48th District constituents were provided with up-to-date information on Health Care by a stellar panel consisting of Sharon Grigsby, Chief Network Officer, Los Angeles County Department of Health (MLK-Harbor Hospital Update); Sumi Sousa, Special Counsel to Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (Universal Health Care for Californians); Dr. Wilbert Jordan, Director of the OASIS Clinic (Hepatitis C and AIDS Awareness); Dr. William Releford, Diabetic Foot Institute (Diabetic Amputation Prevention); and Dr. David Martins, THE Clinic (Hypertension).  Diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol screenings were also available to all attendees.

The Crime Prevention panel consisted of LAPD Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger; L.A. Sheriff’s Department Chief Ron Williams; Felicia Cotton, Bureau Chief, Juvenile Special Services, L.A. County Probation Department; Kathy Jett, Chair, Gov. Schwarzenegger’s Rehabilitation Strike Team; and L.A. Deputy City Attorney Sharee Sanders, Los Angeles Safe Neighborhoods’ Division.

“Quality health care and crime prevention are at the forefront of my constituents’ concerns,” said Davis.  “We brought these esteemed professionals and experts to the 48th District so my constituents could directly discover what the state and local governments are doing on these matters, learn about infectious diseases plaguing the community, acquire health tips, and to discover all of the services that are available to them in the district and outlying areas,”  added Davis.

Recommendations from the panelists ranged from: (1) funding Hepatitis C education and prevention; (2) being active in any way, shape or form for 30 minutes a day; and (3) reallocating some funds, earmarked solely for “at-risk” youth, and spending it on programs for the vast majority of youth that stay out of trouble.