| Malta House of Care Thanks Its Many Partners | |
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Malta House of Care Thanks Its Many Partners May 29, 2009 THE MALTA HOUSE OF CARE MOBILE CLINIC Our Partners In Central Connecticut, there is no option available to the uninsured for medical care other than the existing hospital and community health facilities which have been proven to be an extraordinarily administrative and financial burden for these facilities. Even with the availability of federally-funded community clinics, the sliding scale fees are still more than many uninsured persons can afford. To a person who is unemployed; a student; or a person seeking to enter drug rehab this amount is extraordinary. The Malta House of Care provides primary health care free, without discrimination, to persons from all economic, religious, and geographic backgrounds. * Our service is unique in that it goes to where the people live to serve them. Many of the neediest have no means of traveling to fixed location clinics and do not feel comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings. We bring medical care directly to their neighborhoods through the use of the mobile van. The mobile clinic is a significant community asset providing primary health care, the testing to insure proper diagnosis, the required prescribed drugs to bring illnesses under control, physical exams for those who wish to be employed, go to school or enter drug rehabilitation ensuring a healthier working community. * With two years in operation, we have seen our clinic numbers grow to over 7,700 visits completed with returning patients as well as those who are visiting for the first time – and the need grows. Through our outreach efforts, new medical volunteers have been and continue to be located and utilized to meet the growing need. * Many in the community have joined with us in our effort. Certainly, all of the physicians, nurses, testing facilities, and other medical and non-medical professionals who give their volunteer time are key to our program estimated at annual in-kind giving in excess of $1,000,000. * Our on-site volunteers and tertiary medical care providers come from hospitals including Saint Francis, UCONN, Hartford Hospital, Manchester Memorial and many private practices. Outreach through a vast network of organizations has kept the MHC clinic days at capacity since the start of our operation. * We have recently formed collaboration with physicians who are members of the Connecticut Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (CAPI) who will be joining our current volunteer MD’s initially once a month. * We also will be opening an Asylum Hill location in November which is in collaboration with volunteer medical professionals (MD’s and Nursing staff) from Aetna who will be providing care at that site. * We currently have a number of volunteer physicians who belong to the ProHealth Network and we have begun discussions regarding a collaboration that will result in additional volunteer medical providers, both MD’s and Nurses, from the ProHealth Network. * Nursing students from Saint Joseph's College are provided with clinical experience by assisting with triage of patients. * Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center has loaned us the mobile clinic for our use. * Murphy Security provides the mobile clinic driver/security guard/translator. * Northeast Utilities provides for fuel. * Arrow Pharmacies has provided the location to which our patients go to have their prescriptions filled at a reasonable cost system for the Malta House of Care, Inc. to pay for those drugs and medical supplies. * The law firm of Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C. has provided ongoing legal and other services dealing with licensure, regulatory requirements, corporate and related service as well as donated office space. * Alphagraphics has provided printing, office space and administrative services. * There are many others in the community who have opened their doors to funding, support and in-kind gifts. We are grateful for major gifts from the Aetna Foundation, Bank of America Foundation, Blum Shapiro Foundation, Hartford Courant Foundation, Ensworth Charitable Foundation, Maximillian E. and Marion O. Hoffman Foundation, Karl Krapek, Joyce and Andrew Mandell, Newman’s Own Foundation, Northeast Utilities, Raskob Foundation, SBM Foundation, U. S. Trust, United Healthcare, Cigna Foundation, Lincoln Financial Foundation, Humanitas Foundation, Wachovia Foundation and Xerox Foundation in addition to significant response to the Malta House of Care annual appeals to individuals. Connecting with Others in the Healthcare System In addition to initiating tertiary care opportunities, we have in the past and continue to actively refer those who seek our care to a variety of community based providers. We treat our patients in a holistic manner and we refer them to other organizations who can supplement our care or provide care for which we have no access. We do not guarantee free services, but do provide contact information and interface if necessary while suggesting that our patients seek the financial aid officer at the various organizations to chart a path to obtain the services they need. The list of these organizations includes: o HUSKY Plan o CHS – Community Health Services o Charter Oak Community Health Center o Partnership for Breast Care (Hartford Hospital) o ECHN Eastern CT Health Network o East Hartford Community HealthCare Inc. o Manchester Community Health Cneter o UCONN Medical Center specialty services including Dental o CCMC o Hispanic Health Council o The Brownstone Clinic o Gift of Sight (via Vision Center) o UCONN Dental Bergdorf Center o Hoffman Heart Center at Saint Francis o Saint Gerard’s Center o Fuel Assistance Programs through UI o Catholic Charities o Salvation Army o Urban League o Read to Grow o 211 Info Line o Legal Aid Service o CT Social Services o YMCA/YWCA o All Hartford Shelters for the Homeless o South Park Inn o My Sisters Place o Various Food Banks o Head Start Pre-School Programs o Other School Systems o Specifically for Free HIV Testing Locations § Hartford Health Department § House of Bread § Loaves & Fishes § Hartford Hospital § CHS § McKinney Shelter o Specifically for Free HIV Testing and Counseling § Aids Project Hartford § Hartford Health Department the Bergdorf/Fleet Health Center § Latinos/as Contra SIDA § Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective o Specifically for Behavioral Health Services § Capitol Region Mental Health § Catholic Family Services § Community Health Services (CHS) § Hartford Behavioral Health (both locations) § Institute for Hispanic Families § Mt. Sinai CRT § PATH at Mt. Sinai We Reflect the Diversity of the Community We believe that a diverse cross-section of volunteers (both with our board members and our volunteer medical and non-medical staff) is critical, and we continue to build our organization with this in mind in order to best serve our intended population. Our promotion through educational, religious, social service, health care and business organizations has proven successful in building our patient outreach. Promoting our organization at community events, health care-related gatherings and expos, through diverse media sources, and reaching out through our board members' affiliate organizations and businesses has proven to be a successful way of assuring our organization’s multi-lingual and ethnic structure. We continue to reach out to physician organizations, medical practices, nursing associations, etc. to recruit volunteer medical personnel. 70% of our patients are returning for follow-up care. We are encouraged and proud that they have come to rely on our comfortable and convenient mobile clinic; a place where they can count on being treated with dignity and respect. They trust that the care they have received will be available to them in the future. |