Stand up for health, care, and families: We must demand (and work toward) affordable healthcare and childcare in Johnson City. (Photo credit: Dani Cook. Used with permission.)
Healthcare and childcare are two of the biggest pressures on family budgets. City Hall doesn’t control either system, but city leaders can use their voice, relationships, and influence to make them work better for Johnson City residents.
What I’ll push for:
- Demand real accountability from Ballad Health by asking tough questions about quality of care, costs, access, wait times, staffing, and patient outcomes (looking beyond headlines and selected statistics to understand what residents are actually experiencing).
- Build a constructive relationship with Ballad Health so the City can advocate for residents while also working together on community health, prevention, and other shared priorities.
- Strengthen partnerships with the Washington County Health Department and local nonprofits to identify service gaps, coordinate resources, and connect residents with existing community support.
- Make affordable childcare a city priority by bringing together providers, employers, nonprofits, schools, and other partners to expand capacity and identify ways the City can remove barriers or support new options.
- Use the City’s influence beyond City Hall, advocating with state and regional leaders when decisions about healthcare, public health, or childcare affect Johnson City families.
Johnson City cannot solve these challenges alone. But we can bring people to the table, demand answers, build partnerships, and fight for better access to the care families need.
