Latest news with #UtahDomesticViolenceCoalition
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Reining in Big Pharma for Utah's most vulnerable
Over the past decade, pharmaceutical companies have steadily increased prices on essential and life-saving medications — often without meaningful improvements in effectiveness or safety. (Getty Images) As president of Poder Latino, I have witnessed firsthand how the rising cost of prescription drugs intensifies the struggles faced by Spanish-speaking Latina women living in unhealthy domestic situations. Our mission is to break down barriers so these women can access critical resources, gain independence, and build better lives across Utah. However, ever-rising medication prices add another layer of hardship to those already contending with limited finances, housing instability, and the complexities of leaving abusive environments. Help for people in abusive relationships is available in Utah: Utah Domestic Violence Coalition: A confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic violence hotline can be reached at 1-800-897-LINK (5465) YWCA Women in Jeopardy program: 801-537-8600 Utah child abuse and neglect hotline: 1-855-323-DCFS (3237) National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 Over the past decade, pharmaceutical companies have steadily increased prices on essential and life-saving medications — often without meaningful improvements in effectiveness or safety. These corporate decisions to raise costs well beyond inflation disproportionately affect low-income families and individuals who cannot endure unexpected expenses. For Spanish-speaking Latinas facing domestic violence, every dollar must be allocated carefully, whether it goes toward safe shelter, legal aid, or counseling services. When prescription drug prices surge, these women face an impossible dilemma: Do they choose to pay for necessary medications or use that money to escape an abusive situation? In Utah, where the cost of living is already climbing with inflation and rising housing expenses, soaring drug prices can tip the balance between stability and crisis. This burden is even greater for those who speak English as a second language, as they navigate additional challenges — such as finding translation services and managing an unfamiliar health care system. When medication becomes unaffordable, women often find themselves vulnerable to chronic illnesses, untreated mental health issues, and preventable illnesses — problems that only worsen if they are also dealing with trauma and abuse at home. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies continue to thrive, reaping enormous profits by charging Americans far more than patients in other countries for the same medications. This price disparity disproportionately impacts vulnerable communities who lack economic leverage, further trapping them in cycles of poverty and jeopardizing their future stability. The injustice is stark: Big Pharma benefits while families are forced to make impossible sacrifices, leaving their most basic health needs unmet. Utah's congressional delegation — lead by Republican Sens. John Curtis and Mike Lee — have the power to make a profound difference by championing federal legislation that holds pharmaceutical manufacturers accountable for unchecked price hikes. Reforms could range from capping out-of-pocket costs and tying price increases to inflation, to demanding transparent pricing structures that force drugmakers to justify steep hikes. Another crucial aspect is ending the 'revolving door' between the industry and the agencies meant to regulate it — a practice that has long prioritized profits over public health. By reigning in prescription drug costs, we can create a stronger safety net for the women we serve — ensuring they have access to the medications they need while they navigate housing, job training, and legal challenges. Affordability is not just a matter of financial relief; it is a necessary component of basic human dignity and empowerment. When women have the resources, they need to maintain their health, they are in a better position to break free from abusive environments and rebuild their lives. I urge our senators and representatives to keep the needs of our most vulnerable Utahns at the forefront of the legislative process. Lowering the cost of prescription drugs is an essential step toward ensuring that every woman — regardless of language barriers, income, or life circumstances — has an equitable opportunity at a safe, healthy, and fulfilling life. The well-being of our entire community depends on it.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Legislature snubs funding for domestic violence health care service, forcing nonprofit to fundraise
The Capitol in Salt Lake City is pictured at dusk on the last night of the legislative session, Friday, March 7, 2025. (Photo by Alex Goodlett for Utah News Dispatch) After its funding request was snubbed by the Legislature this year, the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition will try to fundraise nearly $400,000 so police departments around the state can continue to administer a critical health care service for victims of domestic violence. Funds were already running thin for the program, which allows police departments to contract with forensic nurses and experts, who then administer strangulation exams for victims of intimate partner violence — advocates say the funding allocated last year is already mostly used up. Help for people in abusive relationships is available in Utah: Utah Domestic Violence Coalition: A confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic violence hotline can be reached at 1-800-897-LINK (5465) YWCA Women in Jeopardy program: 801-537-8600 Utah child abuse and neglect hotline: 1-855-323-DCFS (3237) National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 Now, if the nonprofit Domestic Violence Coalition can't secure the funding, police departments around the state won't have enough money to routinely carry out exams that experts say are critical to identifying and prosecuting the most serious cases of intimate partner violence. Although it's estimated to cost about $400,000 each year, the coalition originally asked for $260,000 in annual funding, planning to fundraise for the remaining $140,000. Now, the coalition will have to shoulder the entire cost. It was a relatively small ask, considering the state's roughly $30 billion budget, which included $40 million in ongoing funds for the Utah Fits All Scholarship voucher program, $20 million in one-time funding for the state's first-time home buyer program, and dozens of other programs and allocations that dwarf what the Domestic Violence Coalition was asking for. 'It's a drop in the bucket, in terms of the amount of funding that was allocated this year at the legislative session,' said Max Pierce, community health specialist for the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition. 'But what that drop in the bucket is going towards is this critically important service.' Victims of intimate partner violence that have been strangled are often at a higher risk of homicide, according to several studies. A 2009 study published in the National Library of Medicine found that non-fatal strangulation was present in 43% of intimate partner homicides, and 45% of attempted intimate partner homicides. Another study showed that being strangled by an intimate partner heightened the chances of homicide by 600%. But advocates say law enforcement isn't always best equipped to handle these cases, sometimes lacking the resources or funding to conduct a comprehensive strangulation exam. Instead, for the last several years, departments in Utah have contracted with specialized forensic experts who conduct a strangulation exam, while also providing health care to the victim. State funds could help prosecutors identify the most serious domestic violence cases The forensic nurses can provide a more comforting, trauma-informed environment for the victim, while looking out for signs of stroke or other complications that come from oxygen loss, said Pierce. Plus, they can act as expert witnesses during a trial, or assist in the prosecution by giving an added layer of credibility to the victim's testimony. The Legislature allocated $200,000 for the program in 2022, following up with another $200,000 in 2024 — that was supposed to carry the program through this year, but Pierce said it's likely the funds will dry up before the end of March. Since 2023, funding for the program has resulted in nearly 280 exams. And lawmakers say the state has seen three times the number of perpetrators charged and four times as many successful prosecutions since funding the program. But now, the coalition will have to solicit donations and grants from different sources, while hoping other state agencies will come to its aid. During funding shortages, Pierce said the coalition has to essentially give each department or agency a budget for how much they can be reimbursed for the exams. 'We're chasing down funding, either through private entities and organizations, or through other state agencies, in order to fund something that is essentially covering the charge for law enforcement,' said Pierce. 'It is a really unfortunate and terrible situation we're in now, where I can't say that we'll be able to cover every single exam.' If funding runs out, the cost will then fall to each law enforcement agency, whose budgets are already tight, Pierce said. Already, departments around the state tell the coalition that they only conduct the exams in the most serious cases over funding concerns. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
State funds could help prosecutors identify the most serious domestic violence cases
The Capitol in Salt Lake City is pictured on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) During what lawmakers say is a tight budget year, advocates are asking for a 'modest' appropriation that they hope will help Utah's domestic violence service providers, while giving prosecutors more tools to pursue charges against abusers. The Utah Domestic Violence Coalition is prioritizing two funding requests this year. One would direct about $1.4 million to various domestic violence shelters and service providers around the state. Help for people in abusive relationships is available in Utah: Utah Domestic Violence Coalition: A confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic violence hotline can be reached at 1-800-897-LINK (5465) YWCA Women in Jeopardy program: 801-537-8600 Utah child abuse and neglect hotline: 1-855-323-DCFS (3237) National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 The other would funnel about $260,000 in annual funds to help police departments around the state commission forensic medical exams in domestic violence cases that involve strangulation. 'Prosecutors tell us there's no single tool right now that's helping them prosecute domestic violence crimes better,' said Erin Jemison with the coalition, during a Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee meeting on Tuesday. Data shows that domestic violence incidents that involve strangulation are one of the biggest indicators of a lethal relationship. A 2009 study published in the National Library of Medicine found that non-fatal strangulation was present in 43% of intimate partner homicides, and 45% of attempted intimate partner homicides. Another study determined that strangulation by an intimate partner increased the chances of homicide by 600%. But law enforcement aren't always equipped to handle these cases — instead, they need to contract with highly specialized forensic experts who conduct a strangulation exam, while also providing important health care services to the victim. Those experts can act as expert witnesses during a trial, or provide prosecutors with a report that can bolster a victim's testimony. Domestic violence cases often come down to a judge evaluating a survivor's testimony against the perpetrator's testimony. A forensic report gives the survivor an added layer of credibility. Since the legislature began funding these exams, 'we've had three times as many perpetrators charged and about four times as many successful prosecutions,' said Rep. Cheryl Acton, R-West Jordan. Acton is sponsoring the Domestic Violence Coalition's Request for Appropriation, or RFA, and said the program, if funded, is a tangible way to hold perpetrators accountable and curb domestic violence homicides. 'When it became apparent that we could facilitate a medical exam for victims of strangulation, that made a huge change in our ability to prosecute these cases,' said Letitia Toombs, a prosecutor in Weber County. 'It lifts the burden off of the victims, but it also provides a service to victims.' That service is much needed health care. Not only is strangulation an indication of a lethal relationship, but it can have lasting health impacts, cutting off blood or oxygen to the brain which can lead to a brain injury or stroke. Damage to veins in a person's neck can cause serious impairment if not treated immediately. Lawmakers say money is tight this year. So rather than asking for about $400,000, which would completely fund the program, the Domestic Violence Coalition is asking for $260,000. The rest of the money will come from fundraising. 'This is a weird year,' said Rep. Ryan Wilcox, R-Ogden. 'We don't have money this year. So we're trying to figure out how to do things without money.' The Utah Domestic Coalition's request comes amid a surge in referrals for service providers around the state. In 2023, lawmakers passed a bill requiring all law enforcement agencies to conduct a lethality assessment protocol when responding to reports of intimate partner violence. The assessment asks the victim a series of yes or no questions about the relationship, including: Has the person ever used a weapon against the victim? Has the person threatened to kill the victim or the victim's children? Is the person violently or constantly jealous? Depending on the survivor's answers, police can immediately refer them to a shelter. Since the program's rollout in July 2023, police around the state have submitted more than 17,000 lethality assessments. And a new report from the Utah Department of Public Safety released Wednesday gives some interesting insight into intimate partner violence in Utah. Consider this: Reports of intimate partner violence spike during weekends, increasing by 19% on Saturday, then 16% on Sunday, when compared to the previous day. Reports are highest on holidays, particularly New Years Eve, which saw a dramatic 110% increase in police calls compared to the previous day. Thanksgiving was the second highest, with a 54% increase. Law enforcement also saw abnormally high reports on Christmas, Mother's Day and the Fourth of July. The report found a decrease in reports of intimate partner violence over Easter Weekend and on Father's Day. 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