Regional health outcomes from participating counties
Six-Month Report from Project Access Washington County
“I’d never been really sick before. It was incredible, really scary not to be healthy, not to know what was going on. I just can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done. I’m speechless as to what Project Access has done for me, the program has been a godsend. If it wasn’t for Project Access, I wouldn’t be close to where I am today in terms of my health and how much better I feel. I truly, truly appreciate all the hard work you have done. You got me back on my feet.”
—Timothy M., Project Access patient
by Katie Ulin, Program Manager
Project Access Washington County (PAWC) has recently completed six months of operation. Overall, PAWC has exceeded the initial goal of slots available to patients in need of primary and specialty care in Washington County. Patient compliance has been high.
Between April 1 and September 30, 2008, Project Access Washington County received 222 referrals of patients in need of primary care for a chronic condition or specialty care. Of 194 unique patients, 102 patients were enrolled in the program in the first six months. At the end of the period, there were 13 pending applications and 79 patients had been denied enrollment. The recent addition of a full-time Care Coordinator to the PAWC team will allow for increased capacity in issuing and tracking referrals. We anticipate that this additional staff will be helpful in reducing the rate of applications denied due to inability to contact the patient, which was by far the most common reason for denial. The average time from original referral date to appointment date during the first six months of PAWC was 5.2 weeks.
PAWC’s original goal to increase access for low-income, uninsured individuals is being fulfilled, yet there is still much to be done. The pending expansion of the program to accept referrals from two additional safety net clinics will increase the volume of patients, but PAWC will also begin looking ahead to receiving referrals on a regular basis from volunteers and potentially other sources. Growth, both in number volunteers and patients, is essential to the program’s continued success, and PAWC will ensure that this growth happens quickly, but in a way which allows us to continue to do efficient, effective work.
(December 12, 2008)
Update from Project Access Multnomah County
“As a volunteer physician, I am most grateful to Project Access for the peace of mind it gives me, knowing that there is an avenue to help patients in need.”
—Leslie Nicholas, ND clinic manager, volunteer coordinator and provider, Mercy & Wisdom Healing Center
by Tara J. Foley, Project Access Multnomah County
Since launching Project Access Multnomah County in March, 2008 there have been over 200 requests for specialty care. Patients are receiving care that has often been delayed for years and are extremely grateful to all of the volunteer specialists who are participating in the program. Safety net providers and staff are very thankful for Project Access and all of the services that are available to them through this program.
Mercy & Wisdom Healing Center is one of the many safety net clinics that has benefited immensely from Project Access. When asked about the program, Leslie Nicholas, ND, clinic manager, volunteer coordinator and volunteer provider, said, “Patients from Mercy & Wisdom Healing Center who have been referred into the system much appreciate Project Access. The scope of most clinics and the specialists they may have does not cover the entire spectrum of specialists needed by our patients. As a volunteer physician, I am most grateful to Project Access for the peace of mind it gives me, knowing that there is an avenue to help patients in need. There is nothing worse than having to say to someone, ‘I’m sorry, but there is nothing else we can do about that.’ With Project Access, there is something that can be done! Thank you to the specialists who give their time and energy to this invaluable program and to the Coalition of Community Health Clinics for making this accessible.”
To Dr. Nicholas, the entire staff at Mercy and Wisdom and to the entire safety net community in Multnomah County, thank you! Without your hard work, dedication and passion this program would not be a success.
(October 9, 2008)
