AHEC of Southwest Oregon is in the second year of administering the Healthy Communities Access Program grant. This grant is a three-year grant that AHEC and the six partners in the grant received from HRSA in September 2003. The partners are providing needed services to Coos and Curry counties on Oregon's south coast. The past year has been gratifying for the partners as the work of the grant begins to show results. The health departments in both counties have outreach specialists who have provided information regarding OHP, FHIAP and other aides to uninsured clients. These clients, who had no way to access healthcare, now can go see their primary care provider and get the help they need. The health departments also employ Nurse Case Managers through the grant. In both counties, the Nurse Case Manager is providing counseling and case management to patients who have no medical home. She is also helping patients find a medical home and how to access specialty services when needed. The Nurse Case Manager in Curry County is also a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and she is providing case management services to children as well.

Other Nurse Case Managers are located at Curry County Health System, Coquille Valley Hospital, Waterfall Clinic and Powers Clinic. They are providing prescription assistance, as well as medical case management for their patients. These services are helping reduce the emergency room visits by persons who cannot access care in any other manner. This second year will see work on developing relationships with specialists and labs in an attempt to provide discounted services for the working poor or the uninsured in both Coos and Curry County.

Curry General Health Systems has a volunteer prescription assistance program in place at the hospital run by Kelley Anderson, R.N., the case management nurse for Curry General Hospital. This program is making it possible for many seniors and uninsured persons to access their medications without having to choose between buying groceries or medications. Tina Darden, R.N., Case Management nurse for Waterfall Clinic, is providing prescription assistance for patients at Waterfall Clinic and has assisted hundreds of patients. This much needed service will continue through the second and third years of the grant, and hopefully, as long as it is needed. Tina is also working to provide the many case management services needed by her patients.

This year the grant provides funds for reaching out to small businesses in the communities with information regarding Health Insurance Benefits for small business owners. This began with a program offered at Southwestern Oregon Community College in Coos County and was presented by a representative from the Oregon State Insurance Program Governing Board. The second program is planned and there will be additional programs presented throughout the second year of the grant.

For more information regarding the work of the grant, contact AHEC at ahec@healthyoregon.com or 800.501.1566.