Access to Healthcare

A group of health care agencies funded by United Way is working in partnership to determine new approaches that help patients:

• navigate access to health care
• secure health insurance benefits
• and obtain needed dental care

Two agencies combined resources to hire a shared "Patient Advocate" who now works to improve the health care of the growing number of uninsured people in our community. immediate outcomes include cost savings and coordinated patient referrals.

Agencies are also working in partnership with United Way to develop four annual Dental Days for the uninsured. The first free dental surgery day assisted 23 patients through the pro-bono leadership of local dentists. Your United Way investment of $18,000 funding leveraged donations and services valued at over $105,000 for this project alone.

"Working together with Hope Clinic, Packard Health, and the Community Dental Center has enabled us to collaborate more closely and achieve better coordinated care for our patients. Our collaboration has increased access to dental care and case management and has resulted also in a Memorandum of Agreement for The Corner to provide comprehensive pregnancy care for Packard’s eligible patients. The Corner refers those patients back to Packard after pregnancy and also refers older patients to Packard Health."
Joan Chesler, Executive Director, The Corner Health Center

Partners: The Corner Health Center • Community Dental Center • Hope Clinic • Packard Health