STRATEGIC QUESTION 3
How can the community increase awareness of and education about health and social services to help them meet their basic needs?
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Chester County Hospital will participate in and support the creation of a comprehensive and coordinated inventory list of all health and social services available to residents.
Partnering to Improve the Overall Health of the Community by Helping Those in the Most Need
Good health is a blessing that can easily be taken for granted, especially when you feel well. It's only when you feel sick that you realize how lucky you are when you are healthy. Good health; no concerns. But there are a lot of people in Chester County who have worries ... BIG worries, specifically in matters of their medical care and related expenses for themselves or their families.
Chester County Hospital's mission is to provide care to anyone and everyone who comes for medical help, regardless of their insurance status. No one is turned away from receiving emergent and necessary care based on their ability to pay; however, the hospital is collaborating with Community Volunteers in Medicine (CVIM) to help patients who qualify for CVIM's services find medical care providers so that they can stay well and eliminate avoidable trips to the hospital.
"There are a number of reasons why we partner with CVIM," said Chester County Hospital's Ken Flickinger, Senior Vice President of Finance. "CVIM fills a void in our community by providing services for people who don't have insurance or whose income isn't at a level where they can afford out-of-pocket medical care expenses."
CVIM provides free coordinated medical and dental health care to uninsured, low-income individuals and families who have no other place to turn for care in Chester County. It is an organization that is supported 100% through philanthropy and in-kind donations, and it depends primarily on members of the medical community who volunteer their time or donate their services.
The hospital has a contract with CVIM to provide Laboratory and Radiology Services (excluding MRI and CT Scans) to their patients at no cost to the individual. This relationship with CVIM dates back to the inception of the volunteer-driven medical service in 1998. Services include chest X-rays, pap smears, blood tests, for example. The reports are read by the same Radiologists and Pathologists who analyze all patient tests or exams. There is no differentiation in thoroughness or quality. Finalized reports are sent back to CVIM's Medical Director for her review.
"More than 90% of the services the hospital provides to CVIM are free of charge. The patient doesn't see a bill. CVIM doesn't see a bill. We take care of all that internally," said Flickinger, who also volunteers as the Treasurer on the CVIM Board. The value
of this service was $423,000 in Fiscal Year 2014, not including volunteer hours.
But why? Why would a community-based, not-for-profit hospital underwrite that kind of expense?
Flickinger explained, "It's very much a preventative service. Giving affordable access to lab tests and radiology examsencourages patients without insurance to seek care, whether it is preventative or symptom related. It helps keep non-emergencies out of the Emergency Department (ED), and ultimately keeps the cost of health care down."
In addition to radiology and lab services, the hospital also donated flu vaccinations, again in the name of keeping people well.
"Unaddressed medical issues can turn into challenging health problems that require more sophisticated and expensive hospital services to be rendered. For the uninsured whose income falls within the Federal (HHS) poverty guidelines, the hospital absorbs the cost of providing care to these patients," explained Flickinger. "So, if we can be instrumental in keeping everyone in our community healthy, including the most vulnerable, by providing them access to tests and preventative exams, it is a service we are happy to provide." [Chester County Hospital has a similar contract with La Comunidad Hispana]
CVIM's President and CEO Maureen Tomoschuk says their organization has been growing, and it specifically renovated one area in their building on Lawrence Drive to be an internal laboratory for blood draws. The physical growth of CVIM reflects the double-digit growth of its clientele over the past few years. CVIM has 3,000 people on its patient roster, many of whom have chronic illnesses and all of whom live or work in Chester County. Last year, it logged about 30,000 patient appointments.
"We are a health care resource focusing on wellness, prevention and chronic disease management," said Tomoschuk. The organization offers community health education, social work services, diabetes education, smoking cessation programs, primary care and specialist appointments, dental care and more. The overwhelming majority of the health care providers associated with CVIM -- physicians, therapists, educators -- volunteer their expertise. Patients are scheduled based on when the specialist or other clinician they need to see is slated to volunteer.
In addition to having physicians and employees who independently volunteer and supporting CVIM with Radiology and Lab services, the two organizations are exploring new ways to partner. They have recently piloted a program to connect uninsured hospital patients with CVIM, so they don't go to the ED for primary care, and so they can be seen by the best possible provider based on their individual medical issues.
"We talk with hospital case managers about patients who need a transitional plan. We can help the uninsured population who are discharged from the hospital and let them know they have follow-up medical care options and health education that is free, timely and appropriate for them," says Tomoschuk, noting that all prospective patients must meet specific income criteria.
Flickinger added, "A lot of the patients don't have a primary care physician, so it really becomes a great service to transition them to CVIM so they can address their current needs and gain access to follow up care."
Working cooperatively toward the greater good of the people of Chester County is what the partnership between the hospital and CVIM is all about. Separately, they are serving their population of patients, of course. But together, they are utilizing their individual and unique strengths to make an even greater impact in the community.
"It used to be that all the health care organizations in Chester County were big-time competitors," said Tomoschuk, "No one ever talked to one another. But we are finding that health care is changing when it comes to helping the greater community, especially those at risk. It's a cooperative effort to keep all Chester County residents blessed by good health."
Written by Lisa Huffman
Photography by Rick Davis