I am finding it challenging to reach people in the community who can exemplify the ins and outs of health reform, partly because everyone has their own specific set of circumstances. I have picked Holyoke as a place to focus the lens — it’s a small city, but also considered rural. It has a large population of low-income residents, many of them hispanic, but there are also professionals, students, middle-income residents. 

There’s a community clinic and a hospital. But it’s not that easy to break into individual stories, because people keep to themselves, and I’m considered an outsider to many in this community. I learned of one woman who was struggling to pay for health insurance because her employer was offering a health plan she could not afford, and that made her ineligible for state subsidized insurance. I managed to get her cell phone number, but — as with many people in lower incomes — she had to cancel her cell phone plan. I managed to track down her home number, but for several days, children were answering the phone, and then others who spoke only Spanish. When I asked them in Spanish how I could reach the woman, they claimed they didn’t have any idea. I have a feeling they were suspicious of my motives. Just before I was to give up, I tried one last time, and she answered the phone. I’m heading to her house this afternoon. While I do speak some Spanish, and she speaks some English, I’m bringing my production assistant Cathleen, who also speaks Spanish.

I’ve also returned to some “basic” reporting — going to cafes, malls, main street, and approaching random strangers to ask of their experience with health reform. I’ve actually found some good examples that way. Sometimes it’s easier to go directly to the community, rather than wait for referrals.