Press Release

IBC Aids Doylestown Free Clinic

IBC Charitable Medical Care Grants Help Care for the Uninsured

Doylestown, PA - September 15, 2004 In a tiny room on the first floor of the Doylestown Hospital, several patients await care. A volunteer helps one client fill out the paperwork he needs to enroll his child in the state's Children's Health Insurance Program. In another room, a Nurse Practitioner spends more than a half hour with a patient to make sure she understands a recently diagnosed chronic condition.

Each year, the Free Clinic of Doylestown serves between than 900 and 1,000 uninsured children and adults who fall within 200 percent of the poverty level — and between the cracks when it comes to medical care. Many have jobs that do not offer health insurance, and the need for care is great. On a small annual budget that relies heavily on charitable donations, the Clinic finds that providing care can be difficult.

Recently, the Clinic's financial burden was eased by a three-year grant from Independence Blue Cross' Charitable Medical Care Grant Program, which offers financial support for non-profit, privately funded clinics in southeastern Pennsylvania who provide free or low-cost care to the area's uninsured.

"Clinics like the Free Clinic of Doylestown and the men and women who volunteer to staff them are filling a tremendous need in our region," said G. Fred DiBona, Jr., president and CEO of Independence Blue Cross. "Without them, many uninsured would have no place to turn but the emergency room — which already is overcrowded. And many other uninsured people would simply go without medical care altogether.

"Through the Charitable Medical Care Grant Program, we are not only helping the uninsured get access to medical care, but filling a void our community is struggling to address, but we also help reduce incidents of uncompensated care for our providers. And, ultimately, that helps control medical costs for our members."

"We have a very small number of paid staff and we've cut our expenses as much as we can because we believe it's important to run a lean operation," says executive director Peggy Dator. "IBC's grant will help us pay our nurse practitioner, extend our hours by adding an additional nurse practitioner, and provide funds for our operating expenses. We couldn't survive if it weren't for our staff, so to receive a grant that allows us to pay them is truly significant."

The Charitable Medical Care Grant program provides clinics with a three-year financial commitment to help support areas such as general operating expenses, unfunded pharmaceutical needs, medical supplies, specialty care, diagnostic tests, or other pertinent needs critical to the delivery of care within in the clinics. To date, IBC has dedicated $2.8 million to 13 clinics over the next three years.

In addition to medical care and prescription medication aid, the Clinic offers dental services to almost 300 of its patients. As a licensed social worker, Ms. Dator wears two hats for the Clinic, providing short-term counseling for substance abuse and mental health to Clinic patients.

"We're here to provide the medication, treatment and care needed to motivate people with substance abuse or mental health problems to seek help," Ms. Dator says. "It's difficult to ask for help or talk about the fact that you've lost your job, your insurance. The Clinic helps everyone who passes through get back on their feet, mentally and physically."

For more information about this clinic or the additional clinics aided by the IBC Charitable Medical Care Grant Program, contact Butch Ward at 215-241-2220.

About The Free Clinic of Doylestown
Situated within Doylestown Hospital, the Free Clinic provides family medical and dental care to between 900 and 1,000 uninsured and underinsured children and adults annually. The Clinic works closely with the Bucks County Health Improvement project and area schools to ensure that children have access to the Children's Health Insurance Program and needed medical care.

About Independence Blue Cross
Independence Blue Cross is the leading health insurer in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Nationwide, IBC and its affiliates provide coverage to nearly 3.5 million people.