NORTH CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) -
By Nicole Johnson bio | email | Twitter
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - More than two dozen local health care providers are partnering up to help the needy.
The AccessHealth SC Tri-county Network, a new collaboration of hospitals, free clinics and other agencies will make sure that uninsured patients get the right kind of treatment at affordable prices or in some cases, for free.
The various health provider partners announced their collaboration Thursday. The Duke Endowment is providing a $750,000 grant to get this project underway. The funding will last three years.
At the Dream Center Health Clinic, uninsured patient Maurice Robinson gets the health treatment he needs, for free.
"I have six kids and can't afford insurance. This clinic really came through and helped me out," Robinson said.
Robinson can't work right now because of an injury and he is like many others struggling to pay health costs.
The AccessHealth SC Tri-county Network, said that 20 percent of the tri-county population lacks health insurance, which is about 150,000 people. Those people may be putting off seeking treatment or making a trip to the emergency room for small healthcare needs because they don't have insurance.
"So much of this could be solved at the local level before even showing up at the doors of our ERs, causing great expense not only for our hospital, but for our healthcare plans, and all that everybody in the community pays into as well," said Father Terry Fleming, the Vice President of Missions at Roper Saint Francis Healthcare.
In the long run, the network is supposed to help cut healthcare costs all around, which is a benefit for taxpayers and patients like Robinson.
"It's really come through and helped me out. I can say that God blessed me. I think it will help other people too," Robinson said.
Until things are made official, uninsured patients can call Trident United Way, which is one of the founding partners of the new health care initiative. Call 211 and they can get you in touch with a health care provider if you need it.
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