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Clinics across Colorado are also treating sicker patients as people put off doctor visits too long. Vaine has seen case after case where a small problem festers, resulting in higher costs when health problems escalate. For example, a man was bitten by a dog and, because he had no insurance, he didn't see a doctor. An infection took hold and he ended up in the hospital with a $10,000 bill. "For a person living paycheck to paycheck, a bill like that is crippling," Vaine said. "The initial visit would have been $20 and the antibiotics would have been $8." So she and managers at clinics across Colorado are reaching out to the working poor, to encourage them to get help early. Colorado's 66 non-federally funded safety-net clinics are affiliated with ClinicNET, a nonprofit service organization that works on behalf of the clinics to improve their visibility and recognition as key health care providers to Colorado's most vulnerable populations. With a three-year grant from The Colorado Trust, ClinicNET Executive Director Sharon Adams will facilitate online and in-person meetings among clinic managers to share information about health care policies, best practices and programs that improve patient care. ClinicNET also helps clinics track and share data about their patients – including income, employment and location – to more fully quantify the care they deliver. Data gathering and reporting also help clinics to qualify for support from sources such as the Primary Care Fund, which directs tobacco tax revenue to expand health care for children and low-income populations. Additionally, Adams is working with clinics to institute programs like CCSP that proved so critical to Steve Crain. "I couldn't have made it on my own,’" he said. "You feel welcome at the clinic. They don't make you feel bad if you can only pay $10. If you want help, you can get it." |
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