| PERSPECTIVE |
|
[October 24, 2003] -
More than 43 million Americans do not have health insurance. In Nebraska, just under ten percent are not insured. Many without insurance, often wait until a condition gets so bad, emergency care is necessary. That makes medical care more expensive for all of us. Statewide's Perry Stoner reports, there is a coalition in Omaha working to help those without insurance get the medical and dental care they need.
|
|||
Hope for Health:
RealPlayer | QuickTime
Tell us what you think about this story or send us your story ideas. E-mail Statewide - statewide@unl.edu |
| ||
|
Transcript of "Hope for Health"
"Hola, me llama Dr. Sauer."
[Perry Stoner reporting] IT'S A TYPICAL PATIENT VISIT FOR FAMILY PRACTICE PHYSICIAN DR. TODD SAUER.
[Dr. Todd Sauer] we see the gamut from kids with problems, adults with problems, annual exams, acute visits for illnesses, everything.
[Stoner] BUT ITS NOT A TYPICAL WORK DAY FOR DR. SAUER. ONE NIGHT EACH MONTH HE DONATES HIS TIME AND SKILLS TO HELP THOSE WHO HAVE TROUBLE GETTING HEALTH CARE.
[Dr. Todd Sauer] here I find that everyone here is really appreciative of your time and here when I'm running behind and late I feel like they are a little more understanding.
[Stoner] THE ONE WORLD COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER PROVIDES HEALTH CARE FOR LOW TO MODERATE INCOME FAMILIES.
[Mary Lee Fitzsimmons/Executive Director One World Community Health Center] we are set up to serve those people that don't have another medical home and who have barriers either with finances or culture or language.
[Stoner] ONE WORLD HAS ITS OWN PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL STAFF. BUT THE NEED IS SO GREAT, THE CLINIC HAS EVENING HOURS. ONE WORLD RELIES ON VOLUNTEERS ARRANGED BY THE HOPE MEDICAL OUTREACH COALTION TO STAFF THE NIGHT SHIFT.
[Fitzsimmons] Hope's able to be the clearinghouse if you will and that saves us time but it also serves the donor community, the physicians, the dentists, the optometrists and ophtamologists that they will go where the greatest need is.
[Stoner] THE GREATEST NEED ISN'T JUST FOR THOSE THAT ARE UNEMPLOYED. ANDREA SKOLKIN SAYS ABOUT 85% OF THE UNINSURED IN THE OMAHA METRO AREA, ARE EMPLOYED.
[Andrea Skolkin/Executive Director Hope Medical Outreach Coalition] the low-income population in our community is growing and therefore the low-income population that needs health services that are uninsured because of the economy, because of low wage earning jobs in our community and there are many of them, they don't have access to health insurance or simply can't afford what their employer offers, so as they grow we continue to grow.
[Stoner] HOPE STARTED IN THE EARLY 90'S WITH A MEDICAL VAN TO SERVE HOMELESS IN THE COMMUNITY. THIS DISCOUNT PHARMACY IS ONE OF THE LATEST SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE COALITION. IT COORDINATES MEDICAL SERVICES FOR UP TO 5000 PEOPLE IN THE OMAHA METRO AREA. BUT SKOLKIN SAYS THERE ARE AS MANY AS 60,000 IN THE AREA THAT ARE UNINSURED.
[Skolkin] so we are barely scratching the service, so our goal would be to expand everything we are doing and make sure that no one in this community has to worry if they are going to pay for food or pay for medicine or go see their doctor.
"What have you got today ? I've got another loose one here .."
[Stoner] RUSSELL GRIEVES HAS BEEN HELPED BY HOPE. HE IS WITHOUT INSURANCE AFTER BECOMING UNEMPLOYED.
[Russell Grieves/Omaha] I had a job injury at work and that's why I was let go.
[Stoner] RUSSELL IS BACK TO SEE DR. ROGER GERSTNER FOR DENTAL PROBLEMS.
[Grieves] Its what's known as bad gums, paradontal disease, I was diagnosed last time I was in here in March with that and had to have an extraction of a tooth that was in really bad way.
"It's ready to go. If you want to film a tooth coming out, get ready."
[Dr. Roger Gerstner] There is a tremendous need. Dental services are more and more sophisticated, just like medical services are they are correspondingly more expensive. There are people that just do need care and unfortunately our government social services don't always provide that, nor probably should they, but the professions have a responsibility to help.
"You are doing so good."
[Stoner] WITH UNIVERSITY NEBRASKA COLLEGE OF DENTRISTY STUDENTS, HOPE TARGETS SCHOOLS IN OMAHA'S POOR NEIGHBORHOODS. THEY WANT THE ELEMENTARY STUDENTS TO LEARN GOOD DENTAL CARE.
[Carlos Ruiz/Hope Dental Coordinator] they may have never seen a dentist before, so we are just coming in to do some preventative care to make sure that they have a positive experience in front of a dental staff so that in the future if its necessary they will also be able to go to an office and know that its not going to be a traumatic experience.
[Stoner] SKOLKIN SAYS EARLY AND PREVENTATIVE HEALTH CARE, CAN HELP EVERYONE WHEN IT COMES TO THE RISING COST FOR MEDICAL SERVICES.
[Skolkin] We pay for it one way or another. Either you are going to pay for it with tax dollars through Medicaid or health insurance premiums continue to rise as the hospitals see more uninsured.
[Stoner] SEVERAL OMAHA HOSPITALS ARE WORKING WITH HOPE TO TREAT THE UNINSURED TOO. EACH YEAR, FACILITIES AND SERVICES FOR MORE THAN 100 SURGERIES ARE DONATED. ALEGENT HEALTH HAS PARTNERED WITH HOPE TO PROVIDE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR IN FREE MEDCIAL CARE AND CONTRIBUTIONS.
[C. J. Marr/Alegent Health Systems] What's been attractive to us, were a faith-based health care system and one of our values is to help those that are disadvantaged. This is one way that we can cooperate with an agency that is focused on doing just that. Getting health care service to those that have a real need.
"Ese un infection e antibiotico.."
[Stoner] FOR DOCTORS LIKE TODD SAUER, VOLUNTEERING AT THE CLINIC IS ABOUT HELPING OTHERS.
[Dr. Sauer] I think a lot of people that go into medicine really want to help others and help people in need and you can get caught up in your everyday life, trying to make a living and forget why you went into medicine. Its not only to help patients but help people who really need it and you get some fulfillment here in doing that.
"That one doesn't need an antibiotic.."
[Stoner] HOPE BRINGS DOCTORS AND PATIENTS TOGETHER AT PRIVATE OFFICES AND CLINICS LIKE ONE WORLD.
[Fitzsimmons] If you look at the amount of donated care that's given back in Omaha, its astounding. That's because Hope's been able to create a system for that so they feel that they are giving ..the people that are getting truly need it and that they are giving fairly, that they are not the only ones being called upon over and over again.
[Skolkin] I think it's a wonderful thing that the community has come together to do. That health care providers and organizations have, normally that compete in the market place, have come together around this common vision have come together and putting this human in-kind and cash resources to that is a wonderful benefit.
[Stoner] IN THE FUTURE HOPE WANTS TO ADD TO ITS ROSTER OF 500 VOLUNTEER MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS TO MEET THE GROWING NEED IN THE OMAHA AREA.
"Adios."
[Stoner] REPORTING FOR STATEWIDE, THIS IS PERRY STONER.