Super Saturday at a northern California hospital - the day when uninsured patients can have surgery performed for free and there are plans to expand this program...nice work on the part of the doctors and hospital here and nice that it has expanded to Orange County as well...BD
The number of Americans without health insurance reached an all-time high of 47 million in 2006, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and there are no signs that number is decreasing. But one Northern California program may actually be making a difference. Operation Access is a nonprofit program started in the Bay Area by two doctors frustrated at the lack of opportunities to help poor, sick people within their community.
The doctors wanted to find a way to offer surgeries to low-income, uninsured patients — for free. So they enlisted the help of 15 volunteering medical professions who agreed to give their time and expertise — and one hospital, which agreed to give its facilities and equipment. "Super Saturday" at Kaiser Permanente's Oakland Hospital was coordinated with the help of chief of surgery Steven Webster. The event was organized around 45 volunteers, who helped perform surgery on 10 patients in a single day.
Aune says Access has a lot planned for the future. The program has several expansion projects in the works for the Bay Area and is developing a program to help other regions replicate their approach — like one branch did when it started last year in Orange County, Calif.
"Hospitals and doctors doing charity work is old," Rauh said. "What's new [with this program] is the organization."
0 comments :
Post a Comment