PROJECT ACCESS CLARK COUNTY: Quick Facts

About the Program

• Project Access Clark County is a physician-led initiative that organizes donated medical services to uninsured low-income residents of Clark County, Washington. In Clark County alone, there are more than 40,000 residents without health insurance.
• Project Access Clark County acknowledges, quantifies and coordinates physician and health care provider charity care, and spreads that care as equitably as possible.
• Project Access Clark County makes it easier for physicians who are already caring for the uninsured to better mananage and coordinate care.
• Project Access is a successful national model that began in 1996 in Asheville, North Carolina, and has spread to more than 50 communities nationwide.
• In Asheville, per capita charity care was reduced by 45 percent as patients became healthier, the number of patients with a primary care provider doubled, and inappropriate Emergency Department utilization by Project Access patients dropped by 20 percent.
• Clark County is pleased to become the fifth county in Washington State to implement Project Access. Other successful Project Access initiatives in Washington State include King, Spokane, Thurston, and Whatcom counties.
• Project Access Clark County launched a small pilot program in March 2008. Full program implementation began July 2008.

Patient Referral

• Patients are referred to Project Access Clark County for specialty care through safety net clinics such as Sea Mar Community Health Center, New Heights Clinic, and Free Clinic of Southwest Washington, or by private physicians.
• Once a physician office or clinic has referred a patient, the Patient Care Coordinator for Project Access Clark County screens the candidate for medical and financial eligiblity.
• Once successfully enrolled in Project Access Clark County, the Patient Care Coordinator schedules all referral appointments through a central database and coordinates access to pharmacy and lab services.
• Physicians submit their typical billing forms to document services donated through Project Access.

Goals and Outcomes

• Project Access Clark County’s main goal is to efficiently coordinate donated medical care for people in Clark County who: live at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, do not qualify for any public insurance, and who live in Clark County. Patients are enrolled for a period of time.
• By the end of 2008, our goal is to have 40% of eligible providers and both hospitals participating in Project Access Clark County.

Marti Anne Gilman, Interim Program Manager
Julia Ross, Patient Care Coordinator
Kacey Humbert, Administrative Coordinator
[projectaccess @ freeclinics . org]
phone: 360-313-1390
fax: 360-313-1381
click here to make a donation

Para información en español acerca del programa de Project Access Clark County
favor de llamar al 360-313-1390,
o mandar un correo electrónico: [projectaccess @ freeclinics . org]
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