Uninsured Patients Not Alone
Dee Buck was an uninsured woman relocating to Cleveland to start her own business when health problems sidelined her. The Parma Health Ministry – a service of Parma Community General Hospital and Parma Christian Church that cares for local uninsured residents – provided Dee with the care she needed but could not afford. The program has handled more than 2,800 patient visits since its inception, and has diagnosed and treated patients for conditions ranging from cancer and heart disease to diabetes and hypertension. Parma Hospital provides all ancillary services at no charge; in 2005 the value of hospital contributions, including surgery and the use of services such as lab and x-ray, totaled $443,167.