 In collaboration with the Whatcom County Medical Society, the
Whatcom Alliance for Healthcare Access (WAHA) launched an
innovative program in 2006, connecting eligible low-income,
uninsured patients with donated specialty care. The partnership,
called Whatcom Project Access (WPA), recruited more than 60
specialists, and in its pilot phase assisted 11 patients with
free or low-cost ancillary services and prescriptions.For
example, last summer Nancy Hillaire, 63, experienced extreme
stomach pain and lost 35 lbs in less than two months. “I
couldn’t keep anything down, even water,” Hillaire said.
Atherosclerosis blocked the superior mesenteric artery requiring
angioplasty and a stent if she were to survive.
Thanks to the generosity of physicians, St. Joseph Hospital,
Mt. Baker Imaging, and Northwest Regional Labs, Hillaire
recovered.
As a supporting partner of WAHA, St. Joseph Hospital makes
WPA possible. Through care coordination and tracking the value
of donated care, WPA frees volunteer physicians to focus on what
they do best caring for patients. |