Medical Volunteering in the Community

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Medical Volunteering inthe Community

• G. Paul Doxey, M.D.
• St. George, Utah

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DOCTORS VOLUNTEER CLINIC

• OF
• SAINT GEORGE
• (Formerly the Doctors Free Clinic)

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DOCTORS VOLUNTEER CLINICOF SAINT GEORGE

• I

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DOCTORS VOLUNTEER CLINICOF SAINT GEORGE

• Presentation by
• G. Paul Doxey, M.D., Chairman of the
• Board of Trustees
• Gary Lambert, M.D., Medical Director
• Deanne Staheli, R.N., Clinic Director

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DOCTORS VOLUNTEER CLINICOF SAINT GEORGE

• non-governmental privately funded Medical Clinic
• targets patients without health insurance, which
  means if patients have Medicaid (welfare),
  Medicare, or other insurance, we dont see them
• low operating budget
• mostly staffed by retired volunteer doctors,
  dentists, and therapists
• Short term medical, dental and mental health
  issues
• supported by many organizations including the
  United Way, IHC Charities, private donations, etc

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DOCTORS VOLUNTEER CLINICOF SAINT GEORGE

• History
• 1. founded by the Washington County Medical
• Association and Medical Alliance in 1999
  to address the problem of the uninsured
• 2. housed at the Dixie Care and Share from
  1999-2002
• 3. moved to the present site at 1036 Riverside
  Drive in 2002 at Trailhead for city jogging
  path

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DOCTORS VOLUNTEER CLINICOF SAINT GEORGE

• History (cont)
• 4. land (valued at 500,000) for building by a
  local family
  
• 5. building was mostly donated materials and
  labor by the SUHBA
• 6. City of St. George bought part of the land
  from DVC for
  Trailhead and now shares parking lot

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DOCTORS VOLUNTEER CLINICOF SAINT GEORGE

• Current operational status of DVC
• 1. One fulltime employee, two part time
• 2. Approximately 34 volunteers 7 doctors, 5
  dentists, 6 nurses, 3 psychologists, 3 nurse
  practitioners, and 10 secretarial helpers
• 3. 100,000/ year operational expenses
• 4. Clinic will supply needed medications ,
  arrange for free or reduced cost medicines, or
  pay for them ourselves

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DOCTORS VOLUNTEER CLINICOF SAINT GEORGE

• How many patients/year and whom do we see?
• 1. 2003 4,058 patient visits
• 2004 4,272 patient visits
• 2005 6,329 patient visits
• 2006 6,867 patient visits, of which 1,511
  (22) were for mental health encounters.
  This includes emotional disorders plus alcohol
  and drug detoxification.
• 2007 At the present rate, we will see
  approximately
• 8,800 patients this year.

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DOCTORS VOLUNTEER CLINICOFSAINT GEORGE

• 2006
• 98.1 of our patients were from Washington County
  
• 95 were United States Citizens
• 17 were children
• 65 of adults were employed
• 15 were Hispanic

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DOCTORS VOLUNTEER CLINICOFSAINT GEORGE

• 1. Criteria for eligibility is 150 of the
  poverty level (1,226/year for family of 1, or
  4,321 for family of 8)
• 2. 60 of our patients are employed
• 3. 50 are High School or College graduates
• 4. We averaged 35 patient visits/day last year

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DOCTORS VOLUNTEER CLINICOF SAINT GEORGE

• Board of Directors 11 members from our
  community
• Finances are monitored by a CPA
• 501c3 organization
• 2002 Award for Rural Clinic of the Year

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DOCTORS VOLUNTEER CLINICOFSAINT GEORGE

• How do we interact with you?
• Follow-up from the ED, Instacare and hospitalized
  patients including behavioral medicine will be
  able to be seen within one week of discharge for
  ongoing care and help with the cost of
  medications.
• This includes medical and pediatric outpatient
  care, non-surgical gyn patients, orthopedic to
  include undisplaced fracture care, minor trauma
  care, dental care, and mental heath access to
  counseling and psychiatry.
• We also are a referral resource for patients who
  want to detox from alcohol or substance abuse.
• Limited access to subspecialty consultation
  utilizing the physician referral program which
  allows our patients one free or discounted
  consult.
• STD testing and womens health.

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DOCTORS VOLUNTEER CLINICOFSAINT GEORGE

• We do not
• Offer a continuous supply of sample medications.
• Have the equipment or time to do elective minor
  sterile surgical procedures
• Prescribe narcotics for chronic pain problems.

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DOCTORS VOLUNTEER CLINICOFSAINT GEORGE

• Relationship to DRMC
• Routine x-rays, ultrasounds, labs are graciously
  donated, with no cost to the patient or clinic.
• IHC has donated each year to our general fund.
• Physicians, nurses, physical therapists,
  pharmacists, , IT, allied health professionals,
  and administrators have volunteered their time to
  the patients we see.

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DOCTORS FREE CLINICOFSAINT GEORGE

• Why do I Volunteer?
• Medicine as it should be
• Patients are universally appreciative
• Good feeling at the clinic
• Treating the patient and not protecting yourself
  from liability
• Satisfaction at the end of the day

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Video Presentation
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DOCTORS VOLUNTEER CLINICOF SAINT GEORGE

• Private (non-governmental) effort by a community
  to address a community problem
• Reduces inappropriate visits to the local ED at
  Dixie Regional
• Access to medical, dental and psycho-logical care
  by the people caught in the middle between
  welfare and private insurance
• Questions?