The Governor's Podium: The Holidays

At the holidays, we naturally think of those who are less fortunate.

From toy drives to food packages, Oklahomans come together to lend a hand to families and individuals who are poor, ill or lonely. Two recent bits of news show once again that when it comes to helping our neighbors, Oklahomans do it right.

We all know of the awful scandals at our State Health Department.

Thankfully, my cabinet secretary for health and human services, Jerry Regier, has done a wonderful job in cleaning up that mess and in assuring that the nursing homes in our state are safe, healthy places for the elderly.

Now, the Burbridge Foundation of Oklahoma and Secretary Regier have joined hands to make life a little bit better for those folks.

I was proud to help them announce "Caring Hearts for Oklahoma," a volunteer program that will recruit, train and certify volunteers to help in our nursing homes.

Bobbie Burbridge Lane, who does so much for our state, said the program will "replace loneliness with laughter" for thousands of older Oklahomans confined to nursing homes.

If you'd like to become a volunteer, contact your local county health department.

In a second area where compassion works, we recently learned that Oklahoma was number one in the nation in enrolling low-income residents, especially children, in Medicaid.

From mid-1997 through 1999, Medicaid enrollment in our state rose 39.1%. This was largely the result of a 1997 law that expanded Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women and children with household incomes up to 185% of poverty level. During the same period, Medicaid enrollment nationally only increased two percent.

We also made Medicaid simpler, by reducing a 17-page application form to two pages and speeding processing. The result? More poor families have access to health care.

As you and your family celebrate the holidays this year, add a word of thanks for the good people who are working to help our less fortunate neighbors. Oklahomans care.