The San Diego County Medical Society Foundation is aiding families across San Diego in an important issue - health insurance. Many families are in need of coverage, as San Diego County has the highest risk for poor health due to this obstacle.
A report authored by Shana Alex Lavarreda, Y. Jenny Chia, Livier Cabezas, and Dylan H. Roby from August of 2010 showed that number of uninsured Californians expanded abundantly in each county of the state. This was in direct correlation with a spike of unemployment felt throughout the entire state.
The estimated total of uninsured San Diegans during 2009 was nearly 650,000 people. Lavarreda, the lead researcher for the report was "surprised" in the lack of coverage felt not only in San Diego county, but throughout southern California.
The SDCMSF is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization that was founded in 2005 as a separate organization by the San Diego County Medical Society. Their stated mission is to solve healthcare needs of patients, as well as aid physicians with innovation, education and service. Their partners include specialty care physicians, hospitals, and surgery centers. SDCMSF is helping patients achieving better health, and get back to work while reducing community health center visits and reducing emergency room usage as well as hospital stays.
The foundation offers benefits to low income patients that include access to specialty healthcare through their primary care provider. In doing so, they work with twenty-one hospitals in the San Diego Area that help with surgical procedures. Kaiser Permanente and Carlsbad Surgery Center provide regularly scheduled Saturday Surgery days that allow their patients to get back to work.
One of SDCMSF's most beneficial programs is Project Access San Diego (PASD), which is volunteer-driven and helps low-income, uninsured San Diego County residents with healthcare services.
San Diego County Medical Society Foundation is truly helping San Diegan’s with health care needs and is a great foundation to support.