Doctors donate services as part of Project Access

From Alaska to Alabama, physicians’ professional organizations agree that providing no-cost healthcare to those in need can be life-changing, not to mention life-saving. Cincinnati’s Academy of Medicine has joined those ranks by starting Project Access, an award-winning program that marshals the forces of doctors willing to see a few patients a week for free or donate time in a health clinic. According to the Greater Cincinnati Community Health Status Survey (GCCHSS) in 2008, more than a quarter million Cincinnatians, or about one in 10, do not have health insurance.Most doctors already see a few patients per month for free, albeit some not voluntarily. The goals of Project Access are to coordinate that in-office care and supplement it with labs, diagnostic services and even transportation when needed. The benefits to the doctors, who can opt out at any time and donate as much or as little time as they choose, include pre-screening of patients as well as confidence in opportunities for relationship-building and ongoing care. As it takes shape, Cincinnati’s Project Access will monitor patients as well as doctors to find out what kind of difference regular access to quality healthcare can make. Do good:• Make a donation. Support Project Access by contributing to the Academy of Medicine.• Ask your doctor to help. Project Access is recruiting now, so if you are or know of a doctor who can give an hour a week, email Donna Gilliam.• Find a physician. Need a specialist or general practitioner? Use the Academy’s online directory for free.By Elissa YanceyPhoto courtesy of the Cincinnati Academy of Medicine