The challenge of health care is explored by Jody Bortone, Michael J. Emery, and Patricia W. Walker in chapter six of Public Policy in Connecticut. They focus particularly on the shortage of health care professionals in the Connecticut workforce, the increasing difficulty Connecticut residents face with respect to accessing and receiving appropriate health care services, and the rising costs associated with the many dimensions of health care. The authors conclude their essay with a very specific set of remedial measures designed to resolve the disturbing trends in the state's health care system.
Bortone, J., Emery, M.J. & Walker, P.W. (2005). The challenge of health care. In G.L. Rose (Ed.). Public Policy in Connecticut: Challenges and Perspectives. Fairfield: Sacred Heart University Press.　
Jody Bortone, M.A., OTR/L, is the director of the graduate program in Occupational Therapy at Sacred Heart University. Her clinical practice includes mental health and pediatrics, and her scholarship interests include problem-based learning, leadership, and policy. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at Columbia University and New York University, and is presently in a doctoral program for Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy at Fordham University.
Michael J. Emery, Ed.D., is Associate Professor and Chairman of the Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Science at Sacred Heart University. He is also the Chairperson of the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education and a member of the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Physical Therapy Association. Professor Emery is a widely published scholar, and well-known practitioner in the field of physical therapy, and a recipient of many professional grants, honors, and awards.
Patricia W. Walker, Ed.D., is the founding Dean of the College of Education and Health Professions at Sacred Heart University. Prior to Sacred Heart, Dr. Walker served in leadership positions in allied health education at the University of Louisville and the University of Illinois-Chicago. She is a Fellow of the Association of Schools of Allied Health professions, where she has served as a member of the Board of Directors and Chair for the Health and Education Policy Taskforce. She has published articles related to allied health education in professional journals, and serves on the Connecticut Area Health Center Advisory Committee.