Project Access NOW eNewsletter: June 2009
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 Joshua
C. spent almost all of his adulthood with a hernia. For twelve years
since the age of 19 he'd go to emergency rooms or free clinics asking
for help, only to realize that as a barista with no health insurance
he'd be unable to afford the surgery bill. "Free clinics are great but they're capable of only so many things," Joshua said. "No specialist would accept me as a charity case."
When the condition started getting much worse, in winter 2008, he went to the North By Northeast Community Health Center,
where Virginia Weeks referred him to Project Access. After he filled
out the required paperwork, Project Access got Joshua an appointment
with a specialist at OHSU. The surgery took place a month later, in January 2009.
"I got great care at OHSU," Joshua said. "The
doctor never mentioned Project Access. I was treated like any other
patient. Everyone was really friendly. I got to see how things work in
healthcare, the first time since I was a kid."
Continue reading Joshua's story.
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Tompkins Benefit Group donates $10,000 to increase access to healthcare
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 Through Debbie Tompkins' 28 years in employee benefits consulting, helping people get affordable health care has been both a blessing and a curse. "Sometimes I can do it, sometimes I can't simply due to the existing economic and market forces we face," Debbie said. "We have been blessed as a company
with the long term support of our clients so we share our success to
make sure everyone gets the care they need, even if that isn't through
the traditional health plans that our clients have." That's the simple philosophy behind Tompkins Benefit Group's recent donation of $10,000 to Project Access NOW.
Read more.
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Board member spotlight: John Nusser, MD
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 Dr. John Nusser has been working to bring Project Access to the Portland-Vancouver area for the last five years. As clinic director of the federally qualified community health center in Vancouver, Washington, he found it heart wrenching to see uninsured patients who needed specialty care he couldn't provide and they couldn't afford. In 2004, he heard about the success of Project Access in Olympia, and thought it could be possible to bring it to Clark County. "While doctors quietly have offered charity care for years, Project Access offered charity care that was better coordinated and more equitably distributed throughout the medical community."
Championing the Project Access model took time to allay the concerns of physicians and hospitals, and to establish Project Access Clark County at the Free Clinic. "The concept can be scary to some at first," Dr. Nusser said, "but many communities in the US have implemented Project Access, with very satisfied volunteer physicians, hospitals, and patients. I felt lucky to work with a number of passionate physicians who were integral to bringing Project Access to Clark County."
Read more about Dr. John Nusser.
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Support Project Access NOW at Square Deal Wine Company
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 Remember, if you purchase wine at Square Deal Wine Company, 20% of the sale will be
donated to increase access to the low-income uninsured. Tell the folks at the counter
you want to support Project Access NOW.
The Square Deal Wine Company is located at 2321 NW Thurman St., Portland.
Phone: 503.226.9463.
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Thanking The Oregon Community Foundation
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The Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) has renewed its support to Project
Access NOW. The second year grant of $25,000 will
help improve the infrastructure for our volunteer network.
The
mission of The Oregon Community Foundation is to improve life in
Oregon and promote effective philanthropy. The grant will be used to
recruit non-medical volunteers who will assist with transportation,
interpretation, and measurement of program outcomes. According to
Jeff Anderson, OCF Senior Program Officer, "Project Access NOW's
volunteer network of over 2,000 physicians is exemplary of a
community mobilizing to meet a critical need. We're impressed with
the thoughtful development of Project Access NOW."
With
OCF's contribution, Project Access NOW has been able to connect more
patients to healthcare with increasing efficiency. In just over a
year of operation, Project Access NOW enrolled 1,138
patients in the program and filled 1,241 prescriptions for 249
patients, as
of April 30, 2009.
In the same period, the organization recorded a 490% return on
community investment and leveraged more than $2 million in resources.
Read more.
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Project Access NOW Quick Data |
As of May 31, 2009
- Patients enrolled: 1,323
- Referrals made: 1,257 (does not include ancillary services such as anesthesiology, radiology and pathology)
- Referral slots available: 3,187 (some specialties are already maxing out monthly)
- Number of prescriptions filled: 1,525
- Cost per prescription: $16.97
- Patients receiving medication: 310
- Patients connected with Medication Assistance Programs (MAP): 47
- Value of medication received through MAP: $19,644
- Savings on purchased medications: $72,821
- Patient contribution toward medication: $5,378
- Charges for medical services provided: $3,167,400
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Phone: 503.222.6541
Fax: 503.222.2932
Email
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