Manatee County to Host Health Care Workshops

MANATEE COUNTY – Two upcoming public workshops have been set to discuss the health care challenges facing Manatee County. The meetings will begin at 6 p.m. on May 28 and June 3 at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, 1 Haben Blvd, Palmetto. Those who attend the workshops will be asked to give constructive feedback and ideas on how to solve community-wide health care issues.

Tables will be set up at each meeting posing local health care questions. A table moderator will facilitate each discussion for about 20 minutes while a note taker will transcribe ideas that arise during the talk. After 20 minutes people will be asked to visit another table to discuss a different aspect of the issue.

To get some estimate of how many will attend the workshops, people are invited to R.S.V.P. by calling (941) 745-3700. 

Deputy County Administrator Karen Windon said the charrette format will give Manatee leaders a chance to hear residents’ thoughts and concerns as part of a facilitated discussion rather than during a formal County Commission meeting when only one person can speak at a time.

“These are complex issues that deserve a thoughtful, constructive conversation that will help us solve these challenges with true collaborative public input,” Windon said. “We’re hoping people attend these discussions with unique insight on how to tackle these issues, and that that feedback will give County Commissioners a sense of how the public wants to proceed.”

Earlier this month Commissioners were asked to consider a funding agreement with the Manatee Chamber Foundation for a healthcare system analysis and plan development that would be conducted by the USF College of Public Health. Commissioners chose to defer that decision and to get public input during evening meetings early this summer. The Commission will revisit this issue on June 17.