Don Miles does not have health insurance yet he is getting attention for his high blood pressure at no cost by Nurse Beverly Miedema at the Dream Center Clinic North Charleston.
Healthcare for the uninsured got a boost Wednesday as the Trident United Way announced the formation of a new network of healthcare providers aimed at streamlining services for the uninsured.
Now, if an uninsured patient goes to an emergency room for a problem that could be better addressed at a much lower cost elsewhere, there is a system for referrals.
Melanie Matley of AccessHealth SC says up until now, in the Tricounty, there has been just a patchwork of places that help the uninsured without any over-reaching organizational structure.
This new system will try to give uninsured patients "the right care at the right time in the right setting."
The Duke Endowment is granting $750,000 over the next three years to get the program started.
MUSC, Roper St. Francis, East Cooper Medical Center and Trident Health System are among the large local healthcare providers who have joined this collaboration which was about a decade in the making.
In all, about 3 dozen hospitals, clinics and other health programs are joining the effort.
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