AUGUST EDITION, VOLUME 2017, NO. 8
HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY, WE CARE NETWORK! By Rosemary Farrell, Jean McCully We Care Network Program Coordinator Congratulations to We Care Network on all of its monumental accomplishments over the past 25 years! It is impressive how our community has pulled together to help its most vulnerable citizens. To date, We Care Network volunteer physicians, dentists, hospitals, and ancillary partners have donated almost $88 million in care, with more than $8.3 million in the past fiscal year. We Care Network has evolved from its beginning in 1992 with 30 physicians and 1 employee. We now count 315 specialist physicians, 45 dentists, 2 hospitals, 4 surgery centers, and 12 other healthcare partners among our volunteers, in addition to a 6 member staff. All of our patients must qualify for our services through a financial screening process that evaluates the income and expenses of the patient’s household. All eligible patients must live at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level, and their income must reconcile with their expenses. We require documentation of their financial situation to ensure as best we can that the patient has accurately depicted their situation. For a one-person household, this means the household income must be less than $18,090 in 2017. In 1992, We Care Network used 100% of the Federal Poverty Level as its income limit, which was $6,810 per year for a one-person household.
Once the patient has qualified, all of the care they receive is donated by the physicians, dentists, hospitals, and ancillary medical providers at no cost to the patient. Program participants can, if needed, receive help paying for medications, transportation, durable medical equipment, and dental prosthetics through our patient assistance fund. Case managers assist the patients in applying for prescription assistance programs through pharmaceutical companies when that is an option. The case managers coordinate all of the patients’ care from start to finish. The screening for eligibility, including assistance applying for alternative programs, the scheduling of appointments, and the help purchasing medications is all done by the case managers. There is no other program like the We Care Network that allows low-income, uninsured adults access to physicians, dentists, hospitals, ancillary medical providers, and social workers. We are the only program serving this population in this way. During my years at We Care Network, I have seen first-hand the life-altering impact our volunteers have had on our patients. From cancer patients who go into remission, to cardiac patients who receive critical surgeries, and to dental patients who receive dentures and smile confidently for the first time in many years, our volunteers give of their time, talents, and expertise to generously care for our patients. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
CAPITAL MEDICAL SOCIETY 2017 MEETINGS CALENDAR August 26, 2017 Connect the Docs Family Picnic 11:00 am - 2:00 pm Maclay Gardens ($6 entrance fee)
September 19, 2017 CMS Membership & CME Meeting Genomic Medicine Michael Stone, M.D., Stone Medical, PC 6:00 pm Maguire Center for Lifelong Learning at Westminster Oaks
October 17, 2017 CMS Membership & CME Meeting Prevention of Medical Errors (2-Hour CME) Scott Sellinger, M.D. and Jesse Suber, Esq. 6:00 pm Maguire Center for Lifelong Learning at Westminster Oaks CONTINUED ON PAGE 15