Thanking Dr. Amy Morris and Kaiser Permanente
Dr. Amy Morris worked at Kaiser Permanente as a general surgeon for several years before she learned about a Bay Area program that helped the under- and uninsured get needed surgery. Interested in replicating the community-wide effort in Portland, she got introduced to Linda Nilsen-Solares at the same time Project Access NOW was getting off the ground.
“We were trying to take care of the same issue,” Dr. Morris said. “I thought it would be a great way for Kaiser to participate in Project Access.”
Dr. Morris became a surgeon champion for the program at Kaiser. “I had lots of support from our community benefit program,” she said. “Both the physician group and the health plan administration came together to partner on it.”
According to Dr. Morris, one of the main benefits of participation as a surgeon is coordination. “As a surgeon I’m happy to volunteer my time, but surgery takes place in an environment where it’s much more difficult to coordinate resources. Project Access NOW provides that umbrella.”
Kaiser surgeons’ participation in Project Access started with quarterly community surgery days. One Saturday per quarter, volunteer physicians rotate to perform procedures. Twelve patients per quarter get the care they need, predominantly for hernias. But, as Dr. Morris pointed out, “other sub specialists, like orthopedists, gynecologists, or urologists, are anxious to participate.”
Dr. Morris’s contact with Project Access NOW is “extensive. I review their referrals for the second level of screening to determine medical need and see if patients are suitable for surgery. There’s a lot of communication with referring physicians. Care coordinators go above and beyond to get us the information we need for review, and to make sure patients understand what they need to do. Katie Ulin has even done interpreting for a patient here at the office and in the operating room.”
The collaboration with Project Access NOW has been fruitful. “We see Project Access patients as any other Kaiser patients. Once they’re in our system, the process is relatively seamless. And it’s so rewarding: There’s nothing like a one on one interaction with a patient who is eternally grateful for the second chance gained after a needed procedure. The program has been successful on our end. I’m looking forward to watching it grow.”
(March 2010)
