Congressman Owens’ town hall meeting Saturday in Watertown had 50 people with many concerns

Parental rights and the fate of federal employees, among other topics, were constituent concerns heard by Rep. William L. Owens, D-Plattsburgh, on Saturday.

During a town hall-style meeting held at Case Middle School, 1237 Washington St., 14 people spoke about issues that affected them or their surrounding community.

Mr. Owens started off the conversation assuring the 50 in attendance that a dialogue will keep going to make sure Fort Drum remains strong during federal budget cuts, and cross-border issues are worked through. Federal issues continue to be discussed, as two local federal employees asked Mr. Owens about preserving federal jobs.

Mr. Owens said he hadn’t heard of federal employees being the focus of cuts, but “everything’s in the mix.”

That includes local concerns about the U.S. Postal Service, the fate of rural post offices and the potential loss of postal jobs.

“We have lots of small post offices in our district that people rely on,” he said. “If someone doesn’t come to pick up their mail, someone will realize that, come in and say, ‘We need to check on Mrs. Jones.’”

Dianne Chase, Watertown, asked Mr. Owens to revisit the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPA law, regarding parental rights.

She said children 14 and older have the right to tell their parent they don’t want the parent in the physician’s office with them, and they don’t have to tell their parent if they were tested for a sexually transmitted disease, or if they had other procedures done. Parents don’t know what procedures were done until they get a bill for it, she said.

“They can’t vote until they’re 18; they can’t join the military until they’re 18,” she said. “ I ask you to look at the age because they can’t even make decisions in school.”

Having spent time as a hospital lawyer, Mr. Owens said he is familiar with HIPA and will look into the issue.

One audience member asked Mr. Owens about the fate of Mercy Care Center of Northern New York once it closes for good by the end of 2012. Samaritan Medical Center is the facility’s receiver until next year, when a 288-bed elder-care facility is to be constructed to accommodate some Mercy residents, as well as assisted-living care.

When asked by a Times reporter after the meeting was over, Mr. Owens said the issue has not been brought to his attention.

“No one has actually approached me about it, aside from the behavioral health issue,” he said. “I’ve not had that conversation.”

Mercy Behavioral Health and Wellness, located within the 218 Stone St. facility, closed in June, owing to poor Medicaid reimbursement. The Children’s Home of Jefferson County started a new clinic at that location June 30, but considered backing away from the clinic, also because of Medicaid reimbursement issues. Members of the community had reached out to Mr. Owens to help save the clinic.

The Children’s Home will continue to oversee what is now called the Community Clinic of Jefferson County, which moves into the Marcy Building, 167 Polk St., this week.