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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Michael S. Kobernick, MD, MS, Kristin Fintin, Nancy Degroote, and Cynthia Taueg, MPH. Community Health Services, St John Health, 22101 Moross Road, PB II, Suite 365, Detroit, MI 48236, 3133437734, nancy.degroote@stjohn.org

The Department of Community Health Services (CHS) carries out the corporate mission of ‘health care that leaves no one behind”. To achieve this mission a network of free health care facilities have been developed. These include 12 school based health centers, three free adult medical clinics, a host of outreach programs and community partnerships. Several thousand patient encounters have occured at these health centers. These encounters generate a large need for specialty care, diagnostic testing, and inpatient care while reducing emergency department utilization and unnecessary hospital admissions. The Physicians Who Care (PWC) program was developed to create access to these services. Physicians are asked to provide 5 patient encounters per year in their office without charge. In return the physicians are provided St. John Health malpractice for the care of these patients and recognition in the community as participants in the PWC program. The patients are required to sign a participation contract, which includes compliance commitments, behavior and appointment keeping expectations. When the program started two years ago the physician saw 26% of patients needing specialist referral. This year 88% percent of the required referrals were completed within one month. In addition, St. John Health provides free care at the local hospitals for participants in the program. Prior to scheduling, the referrals to the specialists and hospitals are carefully reviewed for medically necessity by the medical director. The program has resulted in improved care and access for the uninsured, as well as, reducing emergency department visits and unnecessary hospital admissions.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Describe alternative methods for providing specialty care to the uninsured.
• Discuss the role of a community health center in the organization of care

Keywords: Access and Services, Access to Health Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation