After recovering from leukemia diagnosed in 2004, Amanda Payne found herself uninsured, deep in medical debt and beset by new health issues that she couldn’t afford to fix.
Burdened by thyroid problems and excruciating ovarian cysts, Ms. Payne, 34, struggled to hold down a job as a waitress. Depression and isolation followed.
Then she heard about Project Access, a physician-led program that provides free health care for low-income, uninsured Hamilton County residents. The program’s coordinators connected Ms. Payne with specialists willing to take on her medical problems free of charge. She got needed surgeries, revised medications and critical physician advice.
The care not only dramatically improved her physical health, but her medical providers’ compassion deeply affected her outlook on life, she said this week.
“They really just changed my life,” said Ms. Payne, who is now hoping to pursue a career in nursing. “I wake up every day knowing that there’s hope in my future and there’s nothing better than that.”
Ms. Payne told her story at a Friday news conference at Blood Assurance recognizing the achievements of Project Access.
Founded in 2004 by Dr. Joe Cofer, head of the surgical residency program at UT College of Medicine in Chattanooga, Project Access has provided $57.2 million in free care since its inception, including $13.8 million in 2009.
Project Access seeks to coordinate charity care provided by local physicians, Dr. Cofer said. Local clinics and hospitals, such as Erlanger hospital, Memorial Hospital and Parkridge Health System, provide the space and technology for much of the care given.
Since 2004 physicians have given $8.8 million in free care, and $48.4 million has come from those partner facilities, Memorial Hospital president and CEO Jim Hobson said at the news conference.
Project Access offers a recourse to the “working poor who all too often fall through the cracks of our health insurance programs,” said Darrell Moore, president and CEO of Parkridge.
Dr. Cofer said fallout from the economic recession has brought a surge of new patients. Many who lost jobs in 2008 may be only just now losing extended health benefits provided under federal law, usually for 18 months.
Erlanger hospital president and CEO Jim Brexler said Project Access’ role may change when national health reform expands health coverage to millions more U.S. residents.
“We see the role of Project Access … probably morphing into a different sort of (provider) network coordination function, as we try to address the needs of hopefully many people who now will be insured, but will still need access to care,” he said.
PROJECT ACCESS
* Free care provided to date: $57.2 million
* Free care in 2009: $13.8 million
* Patients helped since 2004: 4,414
* Patients helped in 2009: 1,093
Source: Project Access
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