Second District Office Adds New Staffer

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COMMUNITY NEWS Second District Office Adds New Staffer

Kieran Kelly joined Second District County Supervisor Zach Friend’s office, overseeing a portfolio that includes much of Aptos.

He comes from UC Santa Cruz, his alma mater, where he was associate director of government and community relations.

Previously, he was senior field representative for State Assemblymember Mark Stone (D-Scotts Valley) and for Santa Clara County Supervisor Ken Yeager. He started out as an intern for Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose).

His 2010 bachelor’s degree at UCSC was in politics. He’s a 2019 grad of Leadership Santa Cruz County, and a 2016 alumnus of the New Leaders Council Silicon Valley.

Kieran takes over from Patrick Mulhern, who served in the role since the beginning of Supervisor Friend’s first term. Mulhern and his family moved out of state to be closer to extended family and to buy their first home. Mulhern, who was Friend’s designee on the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, has been replaced by Robert Paul Quinn, a doctor who lives in Aptos. n Kieran Kelly

“Dientes” from page 11

Her monthly Social Security payment is not enough to cover her rent—let alone food, transportation, medical bills, and dental care.

“No one plans on being poor,” she said. “I had a good education, but we all have surprises along the way. But just because I’m low-income now, shouldn’t mean I struggle to get healthcare.”

She knows other seniors struggling to find affordable dental care.

“That’s another reason I’m grateful: that there were people out there who thought about those needs. See these pretty teeth?” she said with a smile. “They were made here.”

On Aug. 3, when Dientes celebrated six years in Watsonville, Dientes’ Chief Development Officer Sheree Storm said, “We know there is an overwhelming demand for more affordable dental care, and we are grateful for the support of our community and the strong partnerships that help address that need.”

Supporting HR 502

Seniors age 65 and up are eligible for Medicare, which covers doctor visits, but it doesn’t cover dental care, which Dientes CEO Laura Marcus thinks should be changed because dental care is costly and not addressing problems “can have serious health implications.”

California Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragan (D-Hermosa Beach) agrees. In January, she introduced HR 502, the Medicare Dental Benefit Act of 2021, which would: • Add oral health coverage to Medicare

Part B. • Offer sufficiently comprehensive oral health coverage, including dentures, and ensure that Medicare will reimburse for these services as it does for other health services. • Support access to care for low-income

Medicare enrollees to ensure adequate reimbursement for their dental providers.

So far, US. Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D- Carmel Valley, and Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, who represent parts of Santa Cruz County, have not signed on as co-sponsors.

Sen. Benjamin Cardin, a Democrat from Maryland, introduced S 97 in tandem with Barragan.

“We need to let our representatives know that Medicare needs to be fixed,” Marcus said. n