GREENFIELD — The All Souls Unitarian Church welcomed two visitors Sunday to discuss its newest social justice focus: economic inequality, and more specifically, health care.
Dr. Steve Martin, primary care physician, spoke to the congregation about the need for health care and current health care inequality in the United States. Afterward, Greenfield resident and eldercare lobbyist Al Norman spoke about health care concerns during a coffee hour.
All Souls is a large, dark stone building on the corner of Hope and Main that displays inclusive symbols and messages outside, such as a rainbow flag, a “Black Lives Matter” banner and a constantly-changing sign out front with messages welcoming all.
Inside, the church seems cavernous, with a vaulted dark wood ceiling and exposed beams. Since Unitarian Universalists (or UUs, as they fondly refer to themselves as) don’t identify with a specific denomination, the church has no deities displayed. Instead, colorful stained glass windows allow beams of light through, and a subtle rainbow flag hangs behind the altar.
In the minutes before the service, churchgoers chatted while upbeat piano music played. At 10:30, the service began with an 11-person choir.
According to Pam Kelly, co-chairwoman of the social justice committee, Sunday’s service is one of “three or four” services offered by the church’s social justice committee.
“Us UUs … we’re not Christian, we’re not Muslim, we’re not Buddhist, but we try our best to be respectful, to stay open … to respect the dignity of every person,” Kelly told those gathered Sunday. “We’re active learners.”
“In fact, while Christians bear the cross as their symbol, the symbol for UUs is a lighted chalice,” she said. “But the standard joke about UUs is that our real symbol is the question mark.”
Audience members laughed and nodded in agreement.
“We’ve taken on huge social justice challenges,” Kelly said. “Not all of us are going to be the heroes of the world or anything like that … but we as individuals can take a role — an active role — in helping to make our world a better place to live.”
For the past 10 years, the church focused on environment and sustainability. Last year, All Souls voted to switch its social justice focus to economic justice.
“Economic inequality is manifested in so many ways,” Kelly said. “First, there’s access to living-wage jobs, because with a job, other parts can fall into place. The other parts are access to health care, affordable housing, childcare, transportation, food and a social safety net when all else fails.”
Martin is a Northfield resident and family physician who trains young doctors in rural health care.
He began his talk with a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. in 1966, when King spoke in Chicago to the Medical Committee for Human Rights.
“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and most inhuman.”
Martin said the quote twice for the congregation. Then, he told a story of a man at a community health center who slipped on ice and badly hurt his ankle.
“The only hope he had was surgical correction,” said Martin. “In any other industrial developed country that’s what would have happened next. But what happened next is that he declined going to the hospital and declined getting surgery.”
This is just one of the many stories of people who refuse to get medical treatment because they’re afraid of massive medical bills.
“This just strikes me as such a distortion of what health care should be providing to people,” said Martin, adding that U.S. health care should not be “scaring off” people who may not walk again.
“Policy change matters,” he emphasized.
He also shared a recently published photo of a homeless woman named Jessica under a bridge in Philadelphia. Jessica has struggled with heroin addiction and tested positive for HIV after being raped last year. She has tried multiple times to get addiction treatment, but has been turned away each time.
One place didn’t have a bed for her.
The second place required for her to test positive for heroin, meaning that she would have to start using again in order to be admitted.
“I hope we can all ask ourselves the question, why is Jessica having such difficulty obtaining care in the most expensive health care system in the world?” Martin said.
Martin also referenced a general practitioner in Wales who speaks about the “Inverse Care Law,” which says that the less medical care one needs, the more they get, and the more care one needs, the less they get.
He further explained this by mentioning that over-treatment represents more than a third of medical costs in the US, and many people still are able to get cosmetic medical treatments such as Botox. Meanwhile, people like Jessica who truly need medical attention are left without it.
“No market will ever shift corporate investment where it is most profitable to where it is most needed,” said Martin, quoting the Welsh doctor.
Martin also briefly mentioned some Bible verses that told of Jesus’ willingness to heal people, including lepers.
“Our medical care system … is not designed for people that are suffering,” he said.
On a more positive note, he commended the Franklin House of Correction for beginning to admit women for addiction treatment starting Feb. 1.
After the church service ended, much of the congregation descended to the basement for a coffee hour and to listen to Norman speak about health care concerns.
Coffee, apple cider and various breads lined a table as the congregation grabbed snacks before sitting to listen to the talk.
Norman was executive director of Mass. Home Care for 31 years until he recently stepped down.
“I’m not leaving,” Norman reiterated his reason for leaving to the audience at All Souls. “I’m thoroughly fed up with the state government.”
“I loved working with old people so much I became one,” he quipped, disclosing that he is one of the many people on Medicare and Social Security.
He compiled a PowerPoint to educate the audience about elder health care, namely Medicare and Medicaid. More than 1.3 million people in Massachusetts are on Medicare, and the state population is approximately 6 million.
“These are not just older people,” Norman said. “(It’s also) younger people and people with disabilities.”
Norman also discussed the Massachusetts health care budget and requirements for being on Medicare.
“We want Medicare for all,” he said. “I’d like to see younger people on Medicare.”
One of the biggest concerns Norman and the audience voiced was that spouses are not allowed to be paid caregivers for their sick spouse. Other relatives are allowed to be paid caregivers for a relative, but spouses are not included. Norman mentioned that he knew a same-sex couple who actually got divorced so that one could become the caregiver of the other.
After Norman’s presentation, he welcomed questions and comments from the audience. Concerns ranged from caregiver funding, to why Medicare doesn’t cover dental work. Norman also offered his contact information for those who wished to speak with him about their concerns later.
Reach Christie Wisniewski at: cwisniewski@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 280