Project Access NOW
projectaccessnow.org

Regional healthcare partners

Featured health care partners

 Oregon Anesthesiology Group

The Oregon Anesthesiology Group was the first large group to sign up to provide charity health care even before Project Access NOW was established. The Group originally worked with Doctors Offering Community Services (DOCS), which is now Project Access Multnomah County located in the Coalition of Community Health Clinics.

The Group signed up 200 physicians to provide anesthesia services for up to 500 surgeries per year across the region. Following the Group’s lead, the OHSU Anesthesiology Group agreed to participate shortly thereafter. Because of the Oregon Anesthesiology Group’s participation and leadership, ninety percent of Project Access anesthesiology needs were met early in the model’s existence.

(December 12, 2008)

 American Lung Association of Oregon

Project Access NOW is proud to announce an official endorsement by the American Lung Association of Oregon: “The American Lung Association of Oregon endorses Project Access NOW because it supports our mission to prevent lung disease and promote lung health by increasing access to health care for the low income, uninsured in our community.

According to Dana Kaye, Executive Director of the American Lung Association of Oregon, “The American Lung Association of Oregon is pleased to formally endorse Project Access NOW. As a non-profit organization that relies on volunteers, the American Lung Association of Oregon also appreciates the value that Project Access NOW places on volunteer physicians and other health care providers. We know the challenges that face our community can not be met by one organization and the Lung Association is pleased to be a part of this collaborative effort to make sure vulnerable people in our community get access to needed health care.”

Thank you, American Lung Association of Oregon, for helping Project Access NOW get the uninsured the health care they need. Today.

(October 10, 2008)

 OHSU and Tuality Health Care

We extend a special thanks to OHSU and Tuality Healthcare for their early support of Project Access NOW.

With about 800 physicians working within its system, OHSU committed several hundred patient slots throughout a wide variety of specialties to Project Access NOW early on in our effort. As a result, about half of the referrals in March – June went to OHSU physicians. We are “sharing the care” more widely as we bring on more and more physician volunteers and other health care providers – and we still need more! OHSU’s support early on gave us a solid place to start from – thank you!

Nearly two years ago, when Project Access NOW was a big idea with little definition, we set about to build interest among physicians – our most valuable resource! Dick Stenson, CEO of Tuality Healthcare, arranged and facilitated meetings with several key members of the Tuality medical staff. When the time came to sign up to actually provide care to Project Access NOW patients, Tuality Healthcare signed up all of its employed physicians to accept 12 patient referrals per year. This wholehearted commitment to working collaboratively has served as an example of leadership throughout the region – thank you!

We are fortunate to have excellent partnerships with all of the health systems in the region.

(September 17, 2008)

 American College of Cardiology

It is a sincere honor to be endorsed by the Oregon Chapter of the American College of Cardiology (ACC). Dr. Aly Rahimtoola’s leadership among his fellow cardiologists has led to the increased participation of cardiology groups and also led to the official endorsement of Project Access NOW by the ACC.

Statement of Endorsement: “The Oregon Chapter of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) endorses the activities and goals of Project Access NOW, as both organizations share a common commitment to facilitating patient access to specialty care. The Oregon Chapter of the ACC encourages its members to participate in Project Access NOW by providing care to low-income, uninsured patients and exhibiting leadership in their physician community.”

“Project Access NOW fits perfectly with the goal of the ACC of facilitating access to specialty care,” said Mike Widmer, MD, Governor of the Oregon Chapter of the American College of Cardiology. “We are very pleased to support this effort and to help spread the word about ways that physicians can provide leadership and service to those in need in our community.”

We hope that the endorsement of the ACC is the first of many. At the heart of the Project Access model is the importance of physician leadership. Physicians are volunteering their time, skill and energy already. It only makes sense to work with Project Access NOW to create a coordinated and supported volunteer physician network.

(August 7, 2008)

If your professional organization is interested in endorsing Project Access NOW, please call Linda Nilsen-Solares, Executive Director, at 503.413.5549.