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Help Mercy Hospital Raise Awareness of the Plight of the Uninsured

Gilbert and Rose Perez of Port Huron meet with a staff nurse at the Peoples’ Clinic for Better Health to obtain their supply of monthly medications. Peoples’ Clinic is cosponsored by the St. Clair County Medical Society. Gilbert Perez recently lost his job at a Port Huron manufacturing plant, and consequently his family health insurance. In the past, the Perezs paid $140 a month in co-pays to obtain prescriptions for their chronic conditions including diabetes, and hypertension. Today, they will receive these medications free from the clinic, which would have cost in excess of $700.

In the modest Peoples’ Clinic for Better Health medical center, sheltered within the Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission on Port Huron’s south side, St. Clair County residents find the medical care they need when they are uninsured.

The cinder-block walls aren’t adorned with fancy artwork like most medical center offices. Instead, there is a poster featuring the United Way of St. Clair County, one of the local organizations that help fund the clinic and support its mission.

Gilbert and Rose Perez of Port Huron have been waiting outside since 6 a.m. to visit a doctor and receive assistance with their needed prescription medications. For two hours, the Perezs and a group of other patients, shivered outside in a blanket of early-April snow to wait for the clinic to open. The popular clinic sees patients on a first-come, first-served basis.

“We come early,” comments Rose. “We like to get here as early as possible to be sure that we get to see a doctor.”

Gilbert and Rose began visiting the clinic in January after Gilbert was downsized from his local job in manufacturing.

“They closed the Port Huron plant and moved all the production to Croswell,” explains Gilbert. “When that happened, I lost my job and my health insurance.”

Rose battles diabetes, and heart and thyroid conditions; and Gilbert contends with diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol. They work to maintain a healthful lifestyle and neither smoke, but both are in need of daily medication to maintain their health.

“Once our insurance ran out, we simply stopped taking our medications because we couldn’t afford the cost of the prescriptions,” explains Rose. “Then, my sister-in-law suggested we visit the Peoples’ Clinic. There’s help there, she said, and she was right.”

For 15 years the Peoples’ Clinic for Better Health has been providing medical care and prescription medications to local residents who are uninsured or underinsured, just like the Perezs. The clinic is one of the hallmarks of the values of Mercy Hospital: to provide care to the poor and underserved.

Since its inception, it has been cosponsored by Mercy Hospital and the St. Clair County Medical Society. Funding for prescription medications is provided through a United Way of St. Clair County grant.

The clinic is staffed by volunteers, including physicians, nurses and a pharmacist. Last year, the clinic provided for more than 3,200 patient visits. Medical care, access to a social worker and advocacy services are available to adults 18 to 64 years of age, who lack the financial resources to pay for their care or obtain services.

Not unlike the Perezs, many residents who are uninsured visit the clinic to control chronic health conditions and receive free medications. The cost of refilling the Perezs prescriptions this month would have cost $791 if not for the help of the Peoples’ Clinic. Last year, the clinic filled more than 10,000 prescriptions at a total value exceeding $880,000.

“Many of the patients who visit the clinic are similar to the Perezs,” comments Linda Lalonde, RN, the clinic’s director. “We often provide care for those in the community who lose a job, are attaining a higher education, or who are gainfully employed, but receive no health benefits through their employer. The number of those who are uninsured in the community continues to grow at an alarming rate.

“With unemployment reaching 7.6 percent in St. Clair County, not including those who have already exhausted unemployment benefits; many people have to look to other resources to find the medical care they need,” continues Linda.

This is the first time in their lives that the Perezs have used the services of the clinic. Gilbert has been gainfully employed his entire life and always provided health insurance coverage for his family through his employer.

“It’s hard,” says Rose. “It’s not easy being in this situation. We never knew how the other half lived, now we live it, and we’re grateful we found help.”

This week, the first week of May, is dedicated to raising the awareness of the plight of the uninsured on a national level. Coined Cover the Uninsured Week, May 1 - 7; the sole purpose of the week is to bring to light the condition of the nearly 46 million people across the United States who are uninsured.

Cover the Uninsured Week is a project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation designed to provide a platform to urge state and national leaders to take action.

“Action is what is needed,” comments Peter Karadjoff, Mercy Hospital president & CEO. “In Michigan alone 11.7 percent or 1.1 million of our neighbors are without health insurance.”

The Detroit News (March 28, 2006) reported that thousands in Michigan are facing automaker buyouts and downsizing, and are also facing the loss of their health insurance.

“We know what that will mean locally,” continues Peter. “There is a ripple effect bound to be felt in St. Clair County, especially with the level of our industry that supports the Detroit automakers.”

Mercy Hospital is taking a proactive approach to serving the uninsured. “In 2005, Mercy Hospital provided more than $2.4 million to cover the medical care costs of the uninsured through our Community Benefit Ministry to the poor and underserved,” continues Peter.

The Community Benefit Ministry to the poor and underserved includes activities and programs carried out for the purpose of improving health status and quality of life. The ministry seeks out and serves those who need it most; the uninsured and indigent. At Mercy, that is done primarily through the Peoples’ Clinic and the Mercy Care, financial assistance/charity care program.

“We have provided for a significant increase in our fiscal year 2007 budget to meet the needs of those in our community who are in desperate need,” continues Peter. “This alone is not the answer. It is a small drop in the bucket of what needs to be done locally, statewide and nationally.”

Some states are looking to or are enacting wide reforms to help those with no insurance.

Massachusetts is set to become the first state with universal health coverage. The bill was overwhelmingly passed by the Massachusetts’ legislature and will be signed by Governor Mitt Romney, reports both the New York Times and Washington Post (April 4, 2006). In part, the bill will require that subsidies for the working poor be made available so that they can purchase coverage, and would fine companies with more than 10 workers who do not offer coverage. The plan is expected to cover about 95 percent of the state’s uninsured population within three years.

“This is terrific news for the residents of Massachusetts,” says Peter. “We’re not sure what the right answer is here in Michigan, but we’re working on it.”

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm announced a plan to address the uninsured in her January 2006 State of the State address. The Michigan First Healthcare Plan is a $500 million plan to cut in half the number of Michiganians without health insurance.

Furthermore, Trinity Health, of which Mercy Hospital is a member, and Catholic Healthcare Partners recently announced a new advocacy campaign to promote the passage of federal legislation “Communities Building Access” Act, to meet the needs of the uninsured across America.

For the Perezs, assistance in any form would be welcomed when it comes to health insurance. “Gilbert is actively looking for work and we’re optimistic something will be happen soon,” says Rose. “I’m planning to start my home child care service again. It would just be nice if there was some kind of program to help people like us. Some sort of bridge insurance that is affordable and accessible so that when these types of hard times hit, we all have somewhere to turn.”

“For right now, the Perezs and others in a similar situation can continue to look to the Peoples’ Clinic for Better Health,” concludes Linda. “Until there is a better solution, we’ll be here.”

For more information on the Cover the Uninsured initiative, or to raise your voice on behalf of the uninsured, visit CoverTheUninsured.Org.

The Peoples’ Clinic for Better Health is open Tuesday through Thursday each week. It is a walk in clinic that opens at 8 a.m., with patients seen on a first-come, first-served basis. Patients can visit the clinic, located at 3110 Goulden Street, in Port Huron to receive free medical care and access to other services. To talk to someone directly, please call (810) 985-4747, during regular business hours.