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Student Nurse Finds Cure
for Health Insurance Deficiency
When Anne Gerber decided to return to school to become a nurse, she didn't think it would force her to do without healthcare coverage. "I always had health insurance -- it was normal for me," she says. Like many people, Anne had healthcare coverage since she was a child, but when she decided to make this important career change and enter nursing school as an adult returning student, she found herself facing a risky and troubling dilemma of doing without basic protection for her health -- both physically and financially.
It was during a time a few years ago when one of her parents had been critically ill that Anne decided she wanted to become a nurse. She left her full-time job as a patient accounts representative in a medical office and enrolled in nursing school. But Anne no longer qualified for the healthcare coverage she had depended upon in her former job. "Privately, I would have had to pay somewhere between $600 and $800 a month for insurance," she recalls. "So I became one of the 'working uninsured' of America, which was very stressful for me." Then, a friend told her about North Coast Health Ministry (NCHM), a United Way partner agency. NCHM's medical expense assistance program is funded in part by United Way of Greater Cleveland.
"When North Coast Health Ministry said I qualified, it shocked me. And what shocked me even more afterward was that I've had the best medical care with them that I've had anywhere in my life!" Anne's NCHM coverage lasted through nursing school and until she was fully employed again with medical insurance.
Inside NCHM
Anne's primary care physician at NCHM was Dr. Philip Tomsik, a family medicine practitioner. Tomsik has been NCHM's medical director since 2005, and before that, volunteered as a monthly clinician at the agency for four years.
Why did he come to North Coast Health Ministry? "I saw a growing need in an imperfect healthcare system," says Tomsik. "The patients here truly appreciate our efforts. Most of the time, they come to us in crisis or desperation, and we're able to provide them with something they can't find anywhere else."
"We have an extremely committed staff," he continues. "And our relationship with the local medical community has greatly benefited us. NCHM has a good relationship with several local hospitals. We promote the fact that having a place for uninsured patients to turn to will ultimately save money for the whole healthcare system, because our patients won't be using hospital emergency rooms for their primary care. North Coast Health Ministry also links with pharmaceutical programs and secures donated free or heavily discounted prescription drugs."
Unpleasant Surprise
While working part-time at MetroHealth Medical Center and attending school early last year, Anne volunteered to have an ultrasound performed on herself as a training demonstration. The test revealed she had gallstones! When Anne took the test results to Dr. Tomsik, he arranged for a surgeon at Fairview Hospital to perform the operation in the summer.
"If I hadn't found out about the gallstones and had that surgery scheduled through Dr. Tomsik, I don't know what would have happened," says Anne. "And I don't know what I would have done without NCHM."
Giving Back
Anne graduated from nursing school in December 2006, and this year started her career as an emergency room nurse at Fairview Hospital. She's the type of person who gives back to the community, and now volunteers at NCHM.
She's always felt welcome there. "It was like coming in to hang out with my friends," Anne says with a smile. "Every time I needed something, they were there for me."
North Coast Health Ministry is a faith-based clinic in Lakewood that provides free healthcare services for eligible individuals in western Cuyahoga and eastern Lorain Counties. To be eligible, individuals must be age birth to 65, earning less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level and have no medical insurance, including Medicaid or Medicare. To find out more, call 216-228-7878.
United Way of Greater Cleveland funds North Coast Health Ministry's medical expense assistance program, as well as nearly 180 other health and human service programs helping more than 400,000 people in our community each year. To find out how you can help the United Way of Greater Cleveland 2007 Campaign, call 216-436-2100 or donate online now.
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