OU Bedlam Clinics celebrate 10 years of helping uninsured

Source: Tulsa World, Okla.儲存倉Aug. 22--The University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine Bedlam Clinics are marking their 10th year this month, and officials estimate that they have saved the community nearly $30 million by helping patients avoid the emergency room.The program started in response to job losses in the Tulsa area after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The Bedlam Evening Clinic opened in late August 2003 to offer health care for the uninsured at no charge.Organizers began seeing a need for longer-term care, and thus in 2008, the Bedlam Longitudinal Clinic was opened to serve patients with more chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.The clinics are staffed by OU School of Community Medicine students, with their instructors and support staff on hand as well.The clinics give medical students the opportunity to hone their skills and to learn to work with other health-care providers in a group environment with the patient-centered medical home model, said Dr. Gerard Clancy, president of OU-Tulsa."Bedlam is a win-win," he said.Fourth-year medical student Laura Cassody has been working at the clinic for a little more than a year. It has inspired her to pledge to take care of patients without insurance when she sets out to practice. She is planning to work as a gynecologist.She enjoys the relaxed atmosphere of the clinic and the autonomy she gets in treating patients, she said.She also likes the opportunity to work with other health-care providers and to learn from them, she said."I learn different things from each because we all have different levels of training and different types of training," she said.The money spent for a typical Bedlam Clinic visit is about $100. Estimates on emergency room visit costs vary, but the Annals of Internal Medicine project a cost of at least $570 a visit for three common illnesses.The clinics have had more than 62,400 patient visits. Using these numbers, the clinics have prevented just shy of $30 million in medical care costs, OU officials say.The evening clinic is open Tuesdays and Thursdays.The number of people treated varies by night and dep迷你倉沙田nds on what volunteer health-care providers are available. The average is about 45 patients but as many as 80 have been seen.Sometimes people have to be turned away and told about other options for care.Clancy said the clinics are part of a safety net in Tulsa that exists to help people without health insurance or the means to pay for care privately.The idea is to treat people before their medical problems become more difficult to manage, he said."The value is around preventing much worse disease development," Clancy said.Medical crises are a leading factor in family bankruptcies, he said.Programs such as the Bedlam Clinics don't solve the nation's health-care issues, though, he said."I worry that some people believe that because we have the safety net, everything is fine," Clancy said.Earlier this week at the evening clinic, Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology student Carlos Santiago stopped in to have a rash on his arms and legs looked at.Santiago, who works at the college's library, said he can't afford health insurance. He just hopes he doesn't get hurt.He only recently found out about the Bedlam Clinics, he said."I didn't know we had this here," he said. "I'm glad it's here. It really helps me out."It was also the first time at the clinic for Arthur Breeden, who was having stomach problems.Breeden said he is unemployed and can't afford insurance."I'm glad there are places like this for people that don't have insurance or can't afford insurance," he said. "I wish there was more places like this."Clancy said the clinic will continue to serve people without insurance, but he hopes that number will get smaller and smaller."My hope would be eventually there's a day we don't need it," he said.Bedlam Clinics in 10 years62,412 patient visits7,804 patients seen$99.30 cost per visit$29,374,840 saved by preventing emergency room visitsSource: University of Oklahoma School of Community MedicineShannon Muchmore 918-581-8378shannon.muchmore@tulsaworld.comCopyright: ___ (c)2013 Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) Visit Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) at .tulsaworld.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉價錢