Lt. Governor Patty Judge met with a group of stakeholders in Webster City to tout the steps taken by the Culver/Judge administration to improve the health and care of Iowans since taking office three years ago.
The Daily Freeman Journal covered the meeting:
Health care was the topic when Lt. Governor Patty Judge came to Webster City Tuesday morning. She stopped at Hamilton Hospital to visit with local government officials, business leaders and health care professionals.
Judge pointed out some of the health care issues that she felt the Culver/Judge administration had accomplished in the past three years.
"Since taking office three years ago, the governor and I have worked tirelessly to improve the health and well-being of Iowans," Judge said.
"One idea we started with was that Iowans should not smoke," she said. "The best idea for deterring that behavior was to make cigarettes so expensive, people wouldn't buy them."
The cost of cigarettes was raised a $1 per pack and the result, she said was a reduction in the number of smokers throughout the state.
"Twenty-two percent fewer Iowans are smoking now compared to four years ago. Those who still smoke, are smoking 50 percent less," she said.
"It worked, folks," she said. She added that the additional legislation banning smoking from workplaces, bars and restaurants also helped bring down the number of smokers in the state.
Judge, a nurse, said she she was proud the administration was able to keep its commitment to expand children's health insurance programs. More than 57,000 Iowa children now have access to health care through the state's HAWK-I program.
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