NORTH COUNTY: Outreach Program for Uninsured to Begin This Week
A new community outreach program for uninsured, low- and middle- income workers in North County will be introduced this week, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The Community Partners Program's main objective is "to increase the enrollment in the Healthy Families for Children and in Medi-Cal insurance programs." Currently, 30% of North County residents are uninsured. The project began in January and operates under the Partners for Community Access, a not-for-profit health care venture formed by the North County Health Services, the Escondido Community Health Center, the Vista Community Clinic and the Palomar Pomerado Health System. Linda Fahey, a board member at Partners for Community Access, said, "Our organization's mission is to enhance access to health care services to residents of North County, regardless of their ability to pay, through a partnership of health providers. This program benefits community residents as well as each of our member organizations." The project will maintain 17 outreach workers from varying backgrounds, including a nurses' assistant, a former teacher, a social worker and a doctor from Bolivia. The California Endowment provided initial funding for the program with a $614,000 grant; the county's Health and Human Services Agency contributed an additional $600,000. Another $1.2 million is needed to carry the group through a three-year program, according to Barbara Mandel Pache, one of the program's organizers (Berhman, 2/15).
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