Opinion

There are a lot of headlines about what’s going wrong with health care and how people are confused by all the changes that are happening with Obamacare. For instance, few might be aware that there are now more options for affordable primary health care for working families at Greater Prince William Community Health Center. Now more people – whether they have insurance or not – can go to a health care home where all their preventive health needs are met.

Health Center patients are treated with dignity and respect, regardless of income. We are a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that provides primary, prenatal, dental, and behavioral health services under one roof for the whole family. We also offer the innovative CenteringPregnancy® model for prenatal care.

In 2006 voters authorized Prince William County to issue $11 million in bonds to make improvements to park facilities in the county. Among the improvements residents wanted was an expansion of the swimming lanes at the Chinn Center. The expansion never happened, nor did any of the other promised improvements. The county reportedly issued the bonds in 2011, and has reportedly begun spending that money on other improvements to park facilities in the county.

We’re seven years past 2006 and our indoor swimming facilities are even more inadequate than they were then. School age children routinely swim at 4:30 in the morning to get practice in before school starts. Swimming lessons fill up within days of being announced. Pool space in the evening for recreation is next to impossible to find.