One of nearly two dozen volunteer health care providers walks past patients sitting on the sidewalk awaiting opening of thefree health clinic run by Bay Medical Center at the Medical Mall in Essexville. Sixty Percent of Patients at New Bay Med Health Clinic are "Working Poor"
|
||||||||||
| Printer Friendly Story View |
A clearer picture of "the working poor" of the Bay area is emerging as the new free health clinic run by Bay Medical Center has been open nine weeks.
Statistics from 220 clinic registrations show that 60 percent of those seeking service are employed; 70 percent of the patients make less than $20,000 per year. A third have income of less than $10,000 a year. The patients appear to be truly "the working poor."
The Bay Area Volunteer Clinic located in Medical Mall 2 at Center and Pine, Essexville, is open on Wednesdays with registration from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Patients seeking the free service often are lined up at the door by mid-afternoon.
Those eligible to receive the free service have no health insurance or are underinsured and cannot afford medical care.
The demand for service has surpassed expectations by several times; while 12-15 patients a week were expected, about 35 a week are showing up, reports Keith D. Markstrom, director of the Bay Medical Foundation, adding: "Some of the patients work two or three jobs. They are trying to make ends meet but they have low-end jobs with no health insurance."
In fact, Bay Medical Center studies have shown that about 15 percent of the local population, or about 17,000 persons, have no health insurance. Most make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to be able to afford health insurance.
The foundation is in the midst of a campaign to raise $100,000 to operate the free walk-in medical clinic under leadership of co-chairs Guy T. Moulthrop and Mike Stodolak.
"Giving to the Bay Medical Foundation is an excellent way to support our health system, our community and our neighbors," states Mr.Markstrom, noting that donations to the Foundation are tax deductible.
Response by donors is matching demand by patients, noted Mr. Moulthrop, who indicated sponsors are confident the fund-raising goal will be reached. They are hoping to fund the clinic beyond the first year and provide for expanded hours if needed. The first year of the clinic is being underwritten by Bay Medical Center.
The community has joined to make the free clinic a success: Bay Metro Transit Authorityoffers free transportation to the clinic; restaurants feed volunteers without charge; drug companies provide free samples and the clinic pays for prescriptions.
Under direction of Dr. Floyd Stevens, clinic director, and manager Joyce Hardy, R.N., about 20 volunteers combine efforts to provide service to patients.
The patient profile is as follows: average age of women is 39, men 37. Some 43 percent own their home and 34 percent rent or live in an apartment.
Fully a third of the patients used the hospital's emergency room as their source of primary care; 36 percent had not seen a physician in over a year. Diabetes and hypertension are the most common ailments treated. Primary medical care, including limited laband x-ray services are provided to patients of all ages, and help is given to obtain prescriptions. About 300 prescriptions have been provided at a total value of about $10,000.
Nearly a quarter of the patients have been employed more thantwo years while 18 percent have been working less than a year.
About 30 percent of patients are college graduates while 47 percent have high school diplomas or GED certificates, Bay Med statistics show. Three-quarters of the patients say they are good readers and six percent read very poorly or cannot read.
Persons wishing to volunteer at the clinic may call 895-4830 while the Bay Medical Foundation may be reached at 894-3794 by those wishing to make a donation or arrange for a speaker about the clinic.###
| Printer Friendly Story View |
|
|
Dave Rogers |
|
|
|
Printer-Friendly Story View
0200 Nd: 04-20-2024 d 4 cpr 0
12/31/2020 P3v3-0200-Ad.cfm
SPONSORED LINKS
12/31/2020 drop ads P3v3-0200-Ad.cfm