Project Access lost. . .

CitySquare was one of the original partners in the formation of Project Access Dallas. We wrote the initial grant to fund the concept.  We provided a team of "health navigators" to serve the special needs of our patients.  After more than a decade leaders at the Dallas County Medical Society have decided to shut the project down.

Ironically, the change may result in even more services for the very poor in Dallas.  I hope so.  We will be working with our medical and hospital partners to continue to serve the poor and marginalized, hopefully on an even greater scale.  That's what we're looking to the hospitals to accomplish in our community, and especially on behalf of the poor and uninsured. 

Here's the story by Dallas Morning News reporter Sherry Jacobson that appeared in Wednesday morning's edition: 

Dallas County Medical Society to end program providing low-cost care for uninsured
by Sherry Jacobson

sjacobson@dallasnews.com

05 December 2012 11:25 PM

The Dallas County Medical Society will pull the plug early
next year on its Project Access Dallas, a popular program that
matches uninsured county residents with doctors willing to
provide them low-cost medical care.

The 10-year-old effort, which employed 30 people, will end
as early as March, after more than 3,000 current patients have
found a “new medical home,” said Dr. Rick Snyder,
president of the medical society.

More than 2,200 local doctors, many of them specialists, had
voluntarily provided low-cost care to uninsured patients,
including surgery, chemotherapy and chronic-disease
management.

To continue reading click here.

Local NPR station--KERA 90.1--reports on CDM health clinic and Project Access

Yesterday, KERA 90.1 FM, our NPR station here in Dallas ran a great report on the dilemma facing uninsured people when illness strikes. 

The work being done by Central Dallas Ministries was featured prominently in Bill Zeeble's compelling report.  Both our Community Health Services clinic and our involvement in Project Access Dallas were included in the report. 

To listen to the story click here. 

After you check it out, do me a favor and pass it along!