- Partnering with 17 are safety-net clinics, Access Now enrolled 1,649 new patients in 2009
- Over 2,200 appointments with specialists were secured in 2009
- Volunteer specialty physicians have provided an estimated $4.1 million in services since Access Now opened its doors.
In the Media
WCVE/NPR Richmond Profiles Access Now
June 30, 2010
The program has received widespread publicity, from National Public Radio, which provided an in-depth interview with Program Manager Marilyn Nicol. The report by WCVE-Richmond’s special correspondent John Ogle noted the growing need for Access Now due to the recession, commenting, “Access Now serves most of Central Virginia and is hearing from more clinics every day.”
Lifesaver for the Uninsured Needs Community Support
MATTHEW SCOTT TIMES-DISPATCH GUEST COLUMNIST
Published: May 30, 2010
Near-universal health coverage may be the law of the land, but it'll be years before nearly all Americans can count on health insurance to cushion the economic devastation that so often accompanies the diagnosis of a serious illness.
Key provisions of the law won't take effect until 2014. In the meantime, disgruntled legislators and federal appellate courts could demand significant revisions. Yet even if the new mandates survive intact, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that in 2019 -- five years after the main components are implemented -- about 23 million Americans will still be uninsured because they can't afford coverage...
Health Care: Access Now
By Staff Reports
Published: May 13, 2010
Free clinics, community health centers, and public health agencies do great good in providing medical care to individuals without health insurance and the means to pay for treatment on their own. They cannot do everything, however. Enter Access Now.
Access Now provides specialized treatments that clinics and the like are not able to perform. The Richmond Academy of Medicine sponsors Access Now, which relies on physicians and other practitioners who volunteer their time and expertise...
Access Now arranges free health services in Richmond area
By Tammie Smith
July 24, 2009
A Richmond program that helps uninsured people get specialty medical care and surgeries has arranged for more than $2 million in free physician care since it began.
"We have, in a year and a half, returned $2.4 million in charity care to the community," said Deborah Love, executive director of the Richmond Academy of Medicine, which manages the Access Now program...
Uninsured in Area Have Access Now
By Patricia N. Reams, MD
January 28, 2009
Guest Columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch
In the Metro Richmond area, an estimated 57,000 low-income residents are uninsured. Most are members of the working poor, who live precariously despite regular employment. For these low-wage earners struggling to make ends meet, health insurance is a luxury that can’t compete with the more immediate concerns of food, shelter, and transportation...
Health Care Solutions: Access Now
The American health care system is confusing, complex, and expensive. Debates about fixing it are often heated and highly politicized.
So it’s exciting to hear about a program in Richmond that cuts through the controversy and costs to achieve real results for some of our region’s most vulnerable: low-income families and individuals who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to pay the high cost of health insurance...
Securing specialty care for uninsured patients / Access Now arranges free, donated services in Richmond area
By Tammie Smith
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Orthopedic surgeon Anthony Shaia has taken care of uninsured patients, but it has been a challenge at times to arrange other services the patient needed after surgery.
After hip surgery, for instance, a patient would need crutches and an elevated toilet seat. The patient might also need a hospital bed and home health care...
Access Now Doctors' Day Ad in the Richmond Times Dispatch
Sunday, March 30, 2008
In the Richmond area there are approximately 57,000 people who have no health insurance and no means to pay for it.
These working class families, young college graduates, and employed low-income adults do not qualify for Medicaid or Medicare. They need specialty services like Radiology, Gynecology, Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Cardiology, Oncology, Neurology, Ophthalmology – to name just a few. Often the only recourse available is an Emergency Department. That’s a far more costly venue than a doctor’s office. That’s one reason why the Richmond Academy of Medicine created a stand-alone network of volunteer specialists who donate their services. These volunteer doctors provide a compassionate alternative to expensive ER care. They enable our local clinics to offer access to more comprehensive services for their patients...
Doctor's Day: A Salute to Physicians' Good Works
By E. Claiborne Irby, MD
March 28, 2008
Guest Columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch
As a working orthopedist and president of the Richmond Academy of Medicine, I hear a lot about the frustrations of medical practice today: Byzantine insurance bureaucracies, ever-climbing patient volumes, stagnant government and insurance reimbursements, the constant threat of malpractice lawsuits.
But I’ve also got a panoramic perspective on the everyday triumphs of practicing medicine—the therapeutic relationships forged with patients and the satisfaction that comes from relieving suffering and improving lives...
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