A Message from Chamber President Charlynn Harless:

Chamber's Health Task Force 

is Taking Shape 

APRIL 2007 -- The previously announced Chamber Health Care Task Force has been established and has begun meeting.

The purpose of the task force is to thoroughly examine the factors responsible for driving the current crisis of unaffordable and inaccessible health care, to determine the likely impact of the pending health care reform proposals on employers and their employees, and to present a recommendation for action to the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.  We expect to present the task force’s recommendation in early June.

We are pleased that all of the following individuals contacted have agreed to participate on the task force.  These individuals represent a vast knowledge of the numerous issues affecting our local employers’ ability to provide affordable, high quality insurance coverage to their employees.  With their level of experience and expertise, we are confident that they will know all the right questions to ask and formulate a recommendation that will benefit our Chamber membership. 

 Michael Devine,  Hormel Foods Corporation

 Dick McClure, Union Planing Mill

 Christeen Ferree, Port of Stockton

 Di Smith, City of Stockton

 Karyn Dexter, San Joaquin County Office of Education

 Claire Pacheco, J. R. Simplot Company

 Matthew Smith, Smith Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.

 Lon Rose, H J Heinz Company

 Myles Harris, Allstate Insurance'

 Doug Wilhoit, CEO, Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce

 Charlynn Harless, Legacy Enterprises

To ensure that the task force basis its recommendation to the Chamber Board of Directors on a comprehensive understanding of all the issues, we are scheduling numerous presentations by individuals and organizations that represent all sides of the issue.  We have already received enthusiastic responses to our request for a presentation from the California Health Care Coalition an organization of employers, unions and trust funds that represent tens of thousands of employees in the central valley; the California Small Business Health Coalition a group of over 400,000 small businesses throughout California; the Health Plan of San Joaquin that offers several insurance coverage options for low income families and children; local health care providers; and representatives from major insurance plans.