As health-care reform looms as a major issue on Beacon Hill, Selectman Denise Garlick, a registered nurse, feels her experience on the medical frontlines makes her best suited to tackle the issue as a state representative.
“There’s going to be a lot of stakeholders at the table,” Garlick said. “People want to make sure their representative at the table has direct health-care experience.” ...
A registered nurse, she was a past chairwoman of the Needham Board of Health. She was also past president of the Massachusetts Nurses Association and Needham Opportunities Inc. She was also heavily involved with the Needham Coalition for Suicide Prevention.
When talking about health care, Garlick said she feels the industry needs greater efficiency and needs to have a “greater consistency” between the cost and quality of health care. Curbing the “chronic understaffing” of nurses and making sure there’s a direct tie between premium rates and direct care are some of the ways Garlick feels the state can improve the health-care system.
“We have to talk about ways of spending these dollars and the value for these dollars,” Garlick said. “Communities, families and individuals are becoming sicker before going to the hospital and sicker when leaving the hospital.”
Garlick talked about the need to create jobs. She said ways to create jobs include tapping into the state’s “educated workforce,” targeting specific industries with growth potential, and providing incentives to businesses for them to “feel comfortable” in Massachusetts.
“I have been out canvassing, and jobs is the issue people are concerned about,” Garlick said. “What we need in Massachusetts is a strong climate to get things going again.”
Garlick also stressed education as an important issue for voters. She said that no aspect of the state budget, including education aid, is nonnegotiable. But she did feel the best way to assure adequate state aid for education is making sure the state is able to generate revenue. She doesn’t feel raising taxes is prudent right now, but feels economic development and increasing efficiency could provide the extra revenue if done correctly. She doesn’t feel casinos are the answer for generating revenue and jobs.
“I have great concern that the cost of casinos will outweigh the benefits,” Garlick said.
Garlick was guarded about her views on social issues and didn’t feel they would have a great impact on the election.
“I value and respect all individuals and families,” Garlick said. “Most of the issues are settled. The immigration issue is unsettled. It’s an issue the federal government needs to deal with.”
When asked about medical marijuana, she said she would be interested in hearing what doctors who would prescribe it, if it were made legal for medicinal purposes, have to say about the matter.
As for her position on the Senior Center Exploratory Committee, Garlick promised she would continue her work on the committee even if she is promoted to Beacon Hill. When asked about it, she said the Senior Center timeline is not connected to her campaign.
“The whole issue on the insistence of a timeline is before I contemplated running for state representative,” Garlick said. “My insistence on the timeline is to continue to move forward. It would be 2013 before seniors can get out of the basement. We have to keep moving forward.”
On the campaign trail, Garlick also feels she’s gained perspective on some of the anti-establishment sentiment out there, as represented in Sen. Scott Brown’s U.S. Senate victory earlier this year.
“People aren’t angry; they’re scared,” Garlick said. “I believe people are looking for solutions wherever they can find them.”
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