How does the program work?
When an uninsured patient needs specialty care, their primary care providers sends a referral to Pierce County Project Access.
Our staff review the referral for completeness and ensure the patient meets our income and residency requirements through verified documents. Once patient eligibility and provider availability is confirmed, we invite the patient to an in-person enrollment appointment.
We schedule the patient's first appointment with a donating provider, coordinate an interpreter if necessary, and relay the details to the patient. Patients can schedule follow-up appointments directly with the provider until care is complete.
Impact
From the first conversation at the time of enrollment, Project Access staff educates patients about the expectations of being an enrolled member. We emphasize the importance of communication, punctuality, and the differences in healthcare terms and processes.
We reinforce that missing an appointment is unacceptable and encourage them to use their primary care resources for non-emergencies instead of going to the emergency room.
Through those expectations, we have been able to demonstrate a 19.2% reduction in emergency room usage by enrolled patients, and a 0.5% no-show rate for a population with an expected no-show rate of 45% or higher. These rates have sustained over a five-year period and have contributed to saving our community’ s health system millions of dollars.
"The women I see from Project Access need care. Every woman who has been referred to us has needed care. Much of the time, she needed care years before she got to see us... The women show up for their scheduled appointments, they are respectful, and they are thankful for the listening ear knowing someone is taking action to care for their gynecological problem(s)."
Bonnie, Hill, CNM, ARNP, NCMP | Gynecology
Donated Services
Allergy/Immunology
Cardiology
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Colorectal Surgery
Dermatology
Endocrinology
ENT
General/Breast Surgery
Gastroenterology
Gynecology
Hematology
Imaging
Infectious Disease
Labs
Mental Health
Naturopathy
Nephrology
Neurology
Nutrition/Dietary
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Optometry
Orthopedics
Pathology
Perinatology
Physical Medicine
Podiatry
Pulmonary
Radiation Oncology
Sleep Medicine
Therapy Services (PT, OT, Speech)
Uro-Gynecology
Urology