Project Access NOW eNewsletter: July 2009
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Happy New Fiscal Year!  Project
Access NOW has just completed its first fiscal year as an independent
entity. And what a year it has been! Project Access NOW began
connecting people to health care in March of 2008
in partnership with Project Access Clark County, Project Access
Multnomah County and Project Access Washington County. The Program
enrolled a total of 4 patients across the region that first month - we
were very excited to serve those four patients! During
this last fiscal year 1,427 people were enrolled into Project Access
NOW, receiving more than $3 million in charges of health care services.
More than 2,200 physicians and other health care providers are
currently participating in the Project Access NOW network. Even so,
certain specialty areas do not have enough donated capacity to meet the needs of patients currently participating in the program. Project
Access NOW has also been able to provide critical access to medication
to its patients through Pharmacy Bridge. More than 1,700 prescriptions have been filled at a savings of nearly $90,000
and 80 patients have been referred to free medication programs from
pharmaceutical companies, resulting in nearly $25,000 in free medications provided to date. Volunteers
supplement our pharmacy staff person to make this access and savings a
reality. There
is still plenty of work to do. With more and more unemployed people
daily, the demand for primary and specialty care for the uninsured has
risen sharply over the last year. Over the years to come, Project
Access NOW will work diligently with all of its partners including hospital systems and safety net clinics across the region to make the very best use of our already
existing resources. We intend to connect 3,000 people to health care
between now and the end of June 2010. We will increase the number of
physicians and other health care providers participating in our program
and also increase our community's capacity to provide support to
low-income, uninsured patients to actually make the best use of the
access they have.
As we finish this first "official" year of operations, I want to extend a special thanks to the Medical Society of Metropolitan Portland and The United Way of the Columbia-Willamette for providing organizational support and funding in our formative years. It is dangerous to start thanking organizations since we are fortunate to have the support of so many entities that we could write several pages and still not capture all of the contributions big and small. Our hope through this e-newsletter is to, over time, recognize and thank as many of our partners as possible.
Finally, thank you for your support. Project Access NOW exists and is successful only because of the support of each of you who are reading this e-mail and the organizations you represent. The "whole" we create together is truly more than the sum of our individual parts.
Sincerely,
Linda Nilsen-Solares
Executive Director
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Patient story: Douglas H.
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 When Douglas Hall became unemployed from a bank job in October 2005,
he lost his health insurance. For two years he was getting by on his
reserves and retirement fund, while forgoing the healthcare he needed
for his heart, breathing, and back problems. He said, "Though I own my own house, I was unable to pay for medical treatment."
After
he ran out of money, he realized he wouldn't be able to work again, and
in April 2008 he decided to apply for disability. His long search for
affordable medical help led him to the Rosewood Family Health Center. "It was a godsend," Douglas said. "The doctors here are terrific."
Continue reading Douglas's story.
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Board member profile: Sheila Hale
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 Sheila Hale's opportunity to be
involved with Project Access NOW as board member came with her new
job: she succeeded Linda Nilsen-Solares as Executive Director of the
Essential Health Clinic. Each of the system's participating counties
has a place at the table, and the Clinic adopted Project Access
Washington County just as the board was forming. Sheila commented, "I
was at the right place at the right time."
Sheila has tremendous appreciation for
the Project Access model. "Project Access NOW is an enormous,
well-greased vehicle allowing our patients to have greater access to
care," she said. "The success of Project Access Washington
County is closely tied with the success of Project Access NOW in
recruiting physicians. Plus it's much more cost-effective for
everyone involved to participate."
Read more about Sheila Hale.
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Strategic partner highlight: United Way of the Columbia-Willamette
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 Project
Access NOW is in strategic partnership with the United Way of the
Columbia-Willamette. We're proud and honored to be able to say that. As
we reflect on Project Access NOW's first year of nonprofit status, we
wish to recognize United Way's role in getting us and our model off the
ground. We asked the United Way staff most involved in the partnership
to recount their experience. How did the partnership emerge? What does
it entail? And where is it headed?
According
to Howard Klink, VP Community Impact, the roots of the partnership
trace back to 2006, when United Way initiated a discussion with
representatives of major health care providers and community leaders
about the direction of healthcare policy and the role United Way may
play in supporting it. United Way resolved to help on the local level,
where it would have most influence and remain aligned with its Community Impact model. Klink said, "We decided to focus as close to the ground as possible."
Read more.
Photo: United Way of the
Columbia-Willamette staff involved in coordinating the strategic
partnership. From left, Howard Klink, VP Community Impact; Elena
Wiesenthal, Community Investment Manager - Health and Wellness; Carolee
Lee, VP Marketing and Communications; Maileen Hamto, Senior
Communications Manager. Not pictured, Carol Fry, Chief Operating Officer.
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Project Access NOW Quick Data |
As of June 30, 2009
- Patients enrolled: 1,536
- Referrals made: 1,455 (does not include ancillary services such as anesthesiology, radiology and pathology)
- Referral slots available: 2,980 (some specialties are already maxing out monthly)
- Number of prescriptions filled: 1,768
- Cost per prescription: $18.61
- Patients served by Pharmacy Bridge receiving medication: 364
- Patients connected with Medication Assistance Programs (MAP): 63
- Value of medication received through MAP: $25,700
- Savings on purchased medications: $87,350
- Patient contribution toward medication: $6,540
- Charges for medical services provided: $3,443,653
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Phone: 503.222.6541
Fax: 503.222.2932
Email
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