CARLSBAD: New Clinic Serves Underinsured, Uninsured
North County Health Services opened its sixth clinic in Carlsbad earlier this summer, becoming "the city's only nonprofit community medical clinic that serves the uninsured and the underinsured." Clinic Director Alicia Santos said, "We are a safety net for the community. Our mission is to provide care and find resources to help those without adequate insurance." The clinic also serves those with insurance coverage, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. "We are community-based, so we focus on the community at large in addition to filling a gap that other medical facilities can't," said Mary Summers, chair of North County Health Services' board of directors. The clinic boasts one board-certified pediatrician, a nurse practitioner, a nurse and several staff, which is expected to grow to accommodate 7,500 patient visits per year. Discounted drugs are sold at the clinic's sister facility in Oceanside, but a dispensary is planned at Carlsbad Family Medicine. The clinic also performs off-site diabetes, cholesterol, blood-pressure and vision screenings, and provides free immunizations at local schools. It is funded by the Alliance Health Care Foundation of San Diego, the Tri-City Hospital District Board of Directors, the city of Carlsbad and the federal government (Roletti, 8/11).
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