Health Foundation Support Expands Care for Uninsured

Franklin Memorial Hospital one of three statewide awardees

Augusta, Maine (November 23, 2015)—The Maine Health Access Foundation (MeHAF) announces the award of $672,887 in grant funding to three health care systems to expand access to quality health care for people who are uninsured. Awardees for the Access to Quality Care program include Franklin Memorial Hospital, MaineHealth CarePartners (Knox County), and Penobscot Community Health Care.

“People without health insurance face significant challenges in accessing health care services to maintain their health,” said Dr. Wendy Wolf, MeHAF’s president and CEO. “We want everyone in Maine to be able to have an ongoing relationship with a trusted doctor or other primary care provider. This kind of relationship supports better communication between provider and patient and more robust coordination of specialty care, including behavioral health services and other care. Our goal with the Access to Quality Care program is to ensure that people who are uninsured experience better, more coordinated care that can result in better health outcomes.”
 
The three awardees have developed specific strategies to meet the health care needs of people who are uninsured. Franklin Memorial Hospital will use a community resource coordinator to coordinate transitions of care for people without insurance, linking them to primary care providers and to other services in Franklin County. MaineHealth will implement its nationally-recognized CarePartners program in Knox County to expand access to care. Penobscot Community Health Care will coordinate care for persons with chronic pain or opiate addiction by linking patients to high quality primary care and collaborative care management teams.

In Franklin County, Tracy Harty who is based at Healthy Community Coalition, is the project’s lead and is currently getting systems in place, developing a universal referral form, connecting with community resources, and contacting patients who are uninsured and seeking primary care services in the Emergency Department. After the first of the year, Tracy will provide resource coordination and care transition support for those without health insurance, based initially in the Franklin Memorial Hospital Emergency Department (ED). Responsibilities will include face-to-face encounters when appropriate, follow-up calls within 48 hours of an ED visit, making appropriate referrals, and ensuring individuals have access to a primary care provider, dental care and behavioral health services.

 

For additional information on the Franklin County program, contact Tracy Harty, RN, senior program director/nurse navigator at 207-779-2830.

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AboutMeHAF: The Maine Health Access Foundation is Maine’s largest, private, nonprofit health care foundation dedicated to promoting access to quality health care, especially for those who are uninsured and underserved, and improving the health of everyone in Maine.  MeHAF uses its grant resources and expertise to identify and advance key initiatives and issues to improve Maine’s health care system, so people across every region of Maine have access to quality care for better health.