Assignment 2 Health And Social Care Case Study

WEEK FOUR/ASSIGNMENT 2.1
“THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW”
GINA BUFFALOE
ENG 115
PROFESSOR AUTUMN MILLER

WEEK FOUR/ASSIGNMENT 2.1

All Americans regardless of their economic standing in the community deserve access to essential and quality preventative, and primary healthcare. Those Americans who currently fall under the “publicly insured” category (Medicaid), and the medically uninsured, are at similar risk for delayed or non-existent required medical care. Establishing a free, 24 hour accessible Shelby County Primary Care Clinic would eliminate patient medical care delay, and result in large scale overall savings in projected annual medical care costs. (So You Want to Start a Health Center?, 2011) The advantage of free and charitable medical
Majority of those who reside in this area work non-union, blue-collar jobs that do not provide “sick” time or the ability to take time off to meet medical needs. Oftentimes, a community member will make just above the poverty level each month to ensure they do not qualify for Medicaid/Medicare, but not enough to afford the standard monthly costs of medical insurance. Medical issues that could easily be resolved with one or two primary care appointments, end up becoming a medical emergency often times of high expense. The establishment of a 24 hour accessible free medical clinic in the Shelby County community, physically accessible to all, would provide the necessary gap-fill for those who aren’t Medicaid/Medicare applicable. (Why Free Medical Clinics Benefit Everyone,
Support of local area hospitals is essential, in order to provide the ancillary services needed such as lab work, radiology/x-rays, and medical providers willing to volunteer both for services provided, and to be members of the respective clinic Board. An acceptable and effective business and strategic plan must be developed and in place prior to the establishment of any free medical clinic. Volunteer staff need to be abreast of all HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations, and the process of credentialing providers, in order to fall under the established medical legal guidelines. A Standard of Clinic Operating Procedures must be created and in place, prior to any clinic operations actually occurring, so all volunteers are educated in the many facets of their job responsibilities and clinic procedures. (OhioFreeClinics.org, n.d.) (So You Want to Start a Health Center?,