Recorded presentation

Betty Smith-Campbell, RN, PhD, School of Nursing, Wichita State University, 1845 Fairmount, Box 41, Wichita, KS 67002, 316-978-5746, Betty.Smith-Campbell@wichita.edu

Purpose: Access to health care has been and continues to be a problem in the United States. Although increasing, there remains a dearth of research on the effectiveness of Community Health Centers (CHC) for the uninsured and underinsured. Nurses often provide the majority of care at CHCs. The purpose of this study was to determine whether one CHC influenced access to health care for the uninsured and the CHCs influence on finances at the local hospital. Theoretical framework: The Aday Access Framework (1980) guided this descriptive study. The framework hypothesizes that policy may affect directly the health care system and the system, in turn, may affect utilization patterns and cost. Method: A cost-analysis was conducted on the influence a CHC had on one Midwestern hospital’s charity care. Data was collected from hospital and CHC records. Data was collected on avoidable hospitalizations and cost of charity care related to outpatient services. Results: Preliminary analysis show the local hospital annually provides over $400,000 in in-kind preventative and diagnostic services for patients from the local CHC. It was estimated that such services potentially saved the hospital $1 to $4 million in avoidable hospitalizations. Further analysis of avoidable hospitalizations will be completed the summer of 2004. Conclusions: Research studies, such as this, have the potential to influence policies that affect availability and affordability of health care services.

Learning Objectives: