John Severson and John Shen: A real local health-care solution
Staff Report
IN 2005, Americans spent $2 trillion - 16 percent of the national economy - on health care.
Costs continue to rise, yet so do the number of at-risk Americans. The challenges facing the more than 60 million uninsured or underinsured are well documented and serious, but that's only part of the story.Our health-care system has been hobbled for a long time and it's getting worse.
The 2008 presidential candidates have proposed a wide variety of solutions, including offering insurance to everyone, extensive expansion of Medicaid programs, investments in preventive care and enhanced competition between insurers.
While these ideas deserve consideration, we want to make sure people know that two organizations already are providing critical heath-care solutions for our county - Marin Community Clinics and the Coastal Health Alliance. Together, they operate five community health centers throughout Marin and never turn anyone away for care - based on their insurance status or ability to pay. These organizations are local, nonprofit, community-owned and are supported through patient sliding scale fees, donations and through county and federal funds.
Many Marin residents are not aware that more than 37,000 of our neighbors, or 15 percent of Marin's population, are working poor families who cannot afford health-care insurance (U.S. Census 2000). The average annual family income of a typical clinic family is only $15,430. About 75 percent of our patients are women and children.
After more than three decades, Marin Community Clinics and Coastal Health Alliance have grown to serve more than 20,000 patients from working poor families in Marin each year. Our health centers are designed to offer a more cost-effective and affordable option than emergency rooms for non-emergency care. Our health centers are in Greenbrae, Novato, Bolinas, Point Reyes and Stinson Beach.
As patient services have grown, the organizations have developed a unique model of care that integrates physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, mental health clinicians and case workers to deliver high quality, compassionate care for infants, children, adults and seniors. Both organizations work with specialists, pharmacies, laboratories and area hospitals to deliver services to patients. In addition, we provide preventive health education for early breast cancer detection and for patients with chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The rapid growth in demand for quality health care has stretched both organizations to their physical limits. To respond, Coastal Health Alliance will open a new clinic in Bolinas in September and Marin Community Clinics will open a third clinic in San Rafael next year in collaboration with the county's new health and wellness campus.
During National Community Health Center Week (Aug. 5-11) and throughout the year, we extend our appreciation to our community partners, including generous and caring individuals, businesses, foundations, local hospitals, and county, state and federal government officials and staff members who work with us to provide a critical safety net of health-care centers for hard working families in Marin.
John Severson is executive director of Coastal Health Alliance. John Shen is executive director of Marin Community Clinics.
Contributions can be sent to:
- Coastal Health Alliance, 3 Sixth Street, P.O. Box 910, Point Reyes Station 94956
- Marin Community Clinics, 300 Professional Center Drive, Suite 311, Novato 94941
