Solana Beach Sunset 5k
Project Access San Diego (PASD), the
flagship program of CFH, provides a
full range of pro bono specialty health
care to qualifying low-income uninsured
individuals who are referred by primary
care physicians in partner community
clinics. CFH staff use best practices of
care management to transform people’s
lives from pain and dire medical
diagnoses to health, renewed family
involvement, and productive work and
community life. This care management
is coupled with free patient enabling services such as medical
interpretation during appointments, transportation to specialty care
offices, and medicine assistance. The network of 625 physicians,
10 hospitals, 14 outpatient surgery centers, and healthcare service
partners donate specialty health care consultations, procedures,
surgeries, and ancillary health services such as imaging, labs,
medical equipment, physical therapy and more totalling nearly $16
million to over 6000 PASD patients.
While PASD gets people healthy, the Community Health & Wellness
programming that addresses preventable and chronic diseases,
keeps people healthy. CFH efforts include immunizations for the
flu, TDAP, Hepatitis A; screenings for blood pressure and colorectal
cancer; CDC certified and recognized diabetes prevention
workshops; and the Live Well San Diego Speaker’s Bureau.
This year alone, the 500+ volunteer health care professionals
provided 1,300 free vaccinations at 23 sites, 20,000 blood pressure
screenings at 160 locations, and several hundred healthy living topic
presentations throughout the community.
“Our people are dying of preventable diseases that can stopped
from a single injection. It’s my role as a medical provider to be here
and ensure they have access no matter what their income level
may be.” And participants echo how important and meaningful a
personal connection with a physician can be: “It’s nice to see a
physician take time out of their busy day to come and speak to us.
It reminds us that they are human too.”
The glue that holds all these free services together is the dedication
of the physician volunteers who first envisioned being of service
to the community at the San Diego County Medical Society. A
Foundation was created, which is now Champions for Health.
Come join their physician heroes at their 5th annual Solana Beach
Sunset 5k on November 10th at Fletcher Cove Beach Park to raise
funds to benefit our community wellness and diabetes prevention
programs. Register as an individual, family, get your friends and
coworkers together to form a team on www.SB5k.org. New this
year is FUNdraising by customizing your own page and winning
prizes for most funds raised.
www.championsforhealth.org
OCTOBER 2018 | GBSAN.COM 85