Indianapolis Medical Society

Project Health

Overview

Project Health is a community partnership to improve access to health care for low-income, uninsured residents of Indianapolis. It combines donated physician care, hospital services, medication assistance, and case management in a manner that maximizes existing community resources and enhances coordination among service providers. Enabling patients to receive timely and appropriate care, the Project Health aims to improve the health and well being of community members as well as to produce cost savings for local medical institutions.

Physicians’ Commitment

In April of 2002, the Indianapolis Medical Society overwhelmingly voted to support Project Health by building a network of volunteer physicians to serve low-income, uninsured patients.

Participating physicians commit to

• Accept 10 patients a year into their regular practice if they are a primary care provider.
• Accept 20 patients a year if they are a specialist.

Physicians can also choose a different number of patients to accept—any commitment is appreciated.

Role of Project Health

To enable physicians and their staff to provide care in an efficient and effective way.

Project Health will

• Screen clients for eligibility and ensure all clients sign a patient responsibility contract.
• Coordinate referrals centrally to assure equitable distribution of patients among all participating physicians and to assure that pledges are not exceeded.
• Provide clients with case management services to assist with reminder calls, transportation, and other necessary support.
• Establish relationships with community partners to provide laboratory, xray, diagnostic services, pharmaceuticals, and hospital care that patients need.
• Track the value of all services donated by physicians andpublicize the data in a prominent way.

For more information, or to enroll, please contact:
Carrie Jackson, Director, Project Health, carrie@imsonline.org, or
Beverly Hurt, IMS EVP, @ 639-3406 or bhurt@imsonline.org.