Board of directors
Mark Rosenberg, MD, Community Physician / Chair
For Dr. Mark Rosenberg, Project Access NOW is a culmination of 30 years of working to improve healthcare for the underserved. As Director of the Internal Medicine Residency at Providence Portland Medical Center, he’s been training residents to value caring for all members of the community.
As a practicing internist, his practice has focused on the underserved, and his volunteer work at Wallace Medical Concern has reinforced the need. As Project Access NOW board chair, he extends that vision into fostering collaboration among those serving the uninsured.
It was Tracy Gratto’s presentation about safety net clinics and other community initiatives that led Mark to get involved in Project Access NOW. “The synergy and efficiency that PANOW fosters seemed critical to support.”
Since then, he has been actively involved in recruiting physicians to join the program. “I’ve met a lot of wonderful people with values and great spirit,” Mark said. “I’m learning about the challenges and rewards of developing collaborative efforts. It’s been very satisfying to work with everyone.”
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Read Dr. Rosenberg’s 2009 holiday message.
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James “Judge” Hicks, MD / past Chair
Read Dr. Hicks’ 2008 letter to Project Access NOW supporters.
Read about Dr. Hicks’ Bank of American Local Heroes award.
John Nusser, MD, Project Access Clark County
Dr. John Nusser has been working to bring Project Access to the Portland-Vancouver area for the last five years. As clinic director of the federally qualified community health center in Vancouver, Washington, he found it heart wrenching to see uninsured patients who needed specialty care he couldn’t provide and they couldn’t afford. In 2004, he heard about the success of Project Access in Olympia, and thought it could be possible to bring it to Clark County. “While doctors quietly have offered charity care for years, Project Access offered charity care that was better coordinated and more equitably distributed throughout the medical community.”
Championing the Project Access model took time to allay the concerns of physicians and hospitals, and to establish Project Access Clark County at the Free Clinic. “The concept can be scary to some at first,” Dr. Nusser said, “but many communities in the US have implemented Project Access, with very satisfied volunteer physicians, hospitals, and patients. I felt lucky to work with a number of passionate physicians who were integral to bringing Project Access to Clark County.”
Alan Melnick, MD, MPH, CPH, Clark County Health Department
Dr. Alan Melnick has made community health his business. As health officer for Clark and three other counties in southwest Washington, one of his priorities is helping people access health care.
As a professional, he contributes his experience and expertise in medicine and public health to a number of nonprofit boards, including Free Clinic of Southwest Washington and Project Access NOW, whose missions he finds to be aligned and mutually supportive.
“I’m working to ensure everyone enjoys comprehensive access to quality care,” Dr. Melnick said. “Project Access NOW helps us get there.”
Originally a family physician, Dr. Melnick became interested in health on a broader basis. Ten years practicing medicine helped him transition to preventing disease and promoting health on the community scale. He has been a health officer in a number of Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area counties for twenty years.
Tracy Gratto, Coalition of Community Health Clinics
Tracy Gratto got involved with Project Access NOW in her capacity as Executive Director of Coalition of Community Health Clinics. The Coalition’s mandate to provide primary care for uninsured patients through its network of safety health clinics in Multnomah County led Tracy to help create a model for the entire Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area region.
After working with the Medical Society of Metropolitan Portland and other partner organizations around the metro area, she was finally able to conclude, “I was excited to help transform our specialty network into a robust regional safety net solution.”
Her graduate degree in social work and the subsequent focus on community organizing and development of community services came in handy through Tracy’s 8 years with the Coalition. “It all closely aligns,” she confirmed.
The Coalition manages Project Access Multnomah County and partners with the Pharmacy Bridge program. “Project Access is one of the most important programs in our network,” Tracy said. “It helps people overcome barriers to specialty care while the clinics provide as much primary level care as possible.”
Jan Hochstatter, Clackamas County Medical Society
Jan Hochstatter learned about the Project Access model about half way into her 20-year tenure as Executive Director of the Clackamas County Medical Society. It would take the other half for Project Access to launch in Clackamas County.
According to Jan, the main obstacle in getting the program going was the lack of a free clinic that could be used as a portal. “Out of three safety net clinics the County had,” Jan said, “two – in Sandy and in Molalla — have closed in the last two years due to budget constraints. The third one is slated to close within a year or so.”
As Project Access NOW director Jan helped get Project Access programs going in the other Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area counties. When that job was completed, she and other stakeholders revisited the idea of Project Access in Clackamas County.
“Two years ago,” Jan said, “a group of citizens and organizations concerned about access to healthcare in Clackamas County launched the Clackamas Health Access Initiative (“CHAI”), now a stand alone 501c(3) nonprofit. We have people representing various aspects of medical care, such as the Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center, functional service groups, some insurance companies, social workers, County Health and Housing Division and others. Our main focus is addressing access issues in Clackamas County.”
Continue reading about Jan Hochstatter.
Rob Delf, Medical Society of Metropolitan Portand
Rob Delf has been involved with healthcare issues his entire professional life. One of his projects as the director of the Medical Society of Metropolitan Portland was Doctors Offering Community Service (DOCS), a partnership with the Coalition of Community Health Clinics in Multnomah County, which matched patients with volunteer physicians. DOCS later became an integral part of the regional effort that morphed into Project Access NOW.
To Rob, the idea of Project Access NOW is consistent with the Medical Society’s mission: “Physicians creating the best environment in which to care for patients.” And that includes access. Rob should know – he’s been with the Medical Society for 27 years.
Rob sees Project Access as “the best collaborative effort I know. It reflects the commitment and compassion of those involved.” The regional approach that Project Access NOW embodies “made all the difference in the world in creating access to healthcare for those who wouldn’t otherwise have any.”
Priscilla Lewis, Providence Health System
Count Priscilla Lewis, Regional Director for Community Services and Development at Providence Health & Services, as a Founding Mother of Project Access NOW.
Working with the Tri-County Safety Net Enterprise (TCSNE) group a few years back, she was so passionate about collaborative efforts to improve the regional healthcare that she continued to work with the participating counties even after the group lost its funding. So when a grant opportunity through the Oregon Health Systems in Collaboration (OHSIC) came along, the group was ready to apply with the Project Access model.
The initial funding and support came from the eleven Metro hospitals and four insurers who are the members of OHSIC. In addition, the four counties committed the remaining funds from the TCSNE to launch Project Access. Since then, the Project Access model has gained widespread support, from United Way of the Columbia-Willamette to more than 2,200 volunteer physicians donating care through the system.
Kari Stanley, Legacy Health System
When Kari Stanley talks about health care, passion is what you hear. As director of community benefit for Legacy Health, she works with community-based organizations to increase access to care for the underserved. Kari’s excited that Project Access NOW pursues that objective with great returns.
“People without insurance have to cobble their health care together themselves – they move from provider to provider in a very fragmented way,” Kari said. “Project Access NOW allows them to move smoothly between providers within a single referral process – it’s seamless.”
Kari enjoys highlighting another benefit of Project Access NOW: it reduces the cost of health care. “People can get health care in earlier stages of acuity, rather than wait until something serious or highly acute happens. This way, they don’t have to go to an emergency room where the cost is higher, or to get more services or treatment. It also improves the quality of care.”
Sheila Hale, Essential Health Clinic
Sheila Hale’s opportunity to be involved with Project Access NOW as board member came with her new job: she succeeded Linda Nilsen-Solares as Executive Director of the Essential Health Clinic. Each of the system’s participating counties has a place at the table, and the Clinic adopted Project Access Washington County just as the board was forming. Sheila commented, “I was at the right place at the right time.”
Sheila has tremendous appreciation for the Project Access model. “Project Access NOW is an enormous, well-greased vehicle allowing our patients to have greater access to care,” she said. “The success of Project Access Washington County is closely tied with the success of Project Access NOW in recruiting physicians. Plus it’s much more cost-effective for everyone involved to participate.”
Initially, the Essential Health Clinic was the only gateway to Project Access Washington County. Thanks to solid relationships, both Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center and Washington County Health and Human Services can now refer to the system.
Howard Klink, United Way of the Columbia/Willamette
Howard Klink participated in the earliest discussions about creating a regional access-to-healthcare system. United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, where Howard works as vice president for community impact, has been supporting Project Access NOW since its very early days. Howard’s role on the Project Access NOW board provides an ongoing connection between the two strategic partners.
Howard has been involved in the public health policy arena for 20 years, working primarily to improve health and human services and access to healthcare. His passion and experience come handy on the board: “As the board evolved from a hands-on one to a more policy-oriented one, I’ve become more positive about my capacity to contribute.”
Elaborating on the transition, Howard said, “The early board was by necessity very operationally oriented. We were building an organization from the ground up. We needed protocols and procedures. Now we’re more able to focus on marketing, fundraising, and policy, where my strengths are. We can work on long-term stability and further evolution.”
Jill Ginsberg, MD, MPH, Kaiser Permanente Northwest
Dr. Jill Ginsberg had been a family physician for more than 20 years when, together with a local pastor, she co-founded the North by Northeast Community Health Center, a free medical clinic for low-income uninsured adults in North and inner Northeast Portland. Before the clinic opened its doors, she knew she had a lot to learn from others in the community who were doing this successfully. One of those she turned to for advice was Linda Nilsen-Solares, then-Executive Director of the Essential Health Clinic.
When Project Access NOW started, Dr. Ginsberg immediately saw the benefit to the uninsured patients at North by Northeast who needed specialty care as well as to the community at large. She continued to meet regularly with Linda and followed the early development of the program with interest.
The collaboration shifted to higher gear in late 2008 when, after working as a family physician in a Kaiser Permanente medical office for 14 years, Dr. Ginsberg became Kaiser Permanente’s Physician Lead for Community Care. She’s now responsible for physician engagement in the company’s community programs, including Project Access NOW.
Sia Lindstrom, Washington County Administrative Office
If Project Access NOW were a plant, Sia Lindstrom would be the gardener.
As then-Executive Director of the Vision Action Network, a Washington County collaboration incubator, Sia launched a community planning group on healthcare. Access to care for the uninsured emerged as a top issue. Looking at the Project Access model, the group got a local program off the ground at the Essential Health Clinic.
Thanks to Sia’s seed planting, Project Access thrives in Washington County and regionally. She said, “Project Access NOW is a relatively young organization that’s come a long way quickly.”
When Sia started a new position with Washington County, it made sense for her to be connected with the regional organization, Project Access NOW. Her portfolio as Senior Deputy County Administrator is fairly broad: health and human services, assessment/taxation, elections, extension services, and sustainability programs. It is through Project Access NOW board service that Sia continues to manifest her passion for health care access as an issue.
Liz Rabiner Lippoff, Liz Ink
Liz Lippoff is a perfect example of peer recruitment: knowing she helped physicians with their marketing and public relations, board member Howard Klink approached her with the request to help Project Access NOW, too. The original idea was to have Liz chair the marketing committee; before long, she stepped up to join the Board.
Volunteering and healthcare run in Liz’s family. Her father, who was a hematologist at Legacy Good Samaritan, chose to have a limited practice so he could do research and help in the community. Her mother volunteered at the hospital and served as the Auxiliary president.
Liz and her husband David are both active in the community. “David and I consider ourselves blessed. We are happy we have the time to help because we believe it’s our responsibility. We both subscribe to the old value ‘Repair the world’, that everyone should strive to make the world a better place than they found it.”
At the same time, Liz wants to contribute what she’s good at: marketing and PR. “Non profits often lack the capacity internally do the marketing and PR that would help them thrive,” Liz said. “It’s a pleasure to help fill that gap.”
Marie Dahlstrom
When Marie Dahlstrom learned about the Project Access model while serving on United Way of the Columbia-Willamette’s Health Access Committee, she advocated for creating a similar organization in the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area.
Since then, Marie said, “as someone who’s been involved in the creation of Project Access NOW, I’ve been absolutely ecstatic to see it launch and grow.”
As director of research and development at Familias en Accion, a health organization for Latinos, Marie works primarily with Latinos, who are overrepresented among the uninsured. She runs the organization’s Cancer Patient Navigator Program, where Project Access NOW executive director Linda Nilsen-Solares sits on the advisory board. Before Project Access NOW, uninsured Latinos with cancer had an extremely difficult time to get care, if they could get it at all.
“We’d receive calls from folks diagnosed with cancer, but we had no resources to tap into and nowhere to send them,” Marie said. “Physicians would tell them—even to people who have been here for years—to seek care in their country of origin.”
