Health outcomes surveys were conducted by telephone with Project Access patients on a voluntary basis.
The Case Management program appears to be effective in reducing ED visits for non-urgent health problems, and in achieving cost savings for the medical centers.
Project Access enrollees are much less likely to visit emergency rooms for primary care needs, as compared to Medicaid and uninsured populations.
ECM extended care management services to Medicaid HealthConnect (fee-for-service) enrollees who resided in Sedgwick County.
During the first 8 years of Project Access operations, claims-based data was available for 7,511 patients.
In 1998, Paul Uhlig, MD, a fourth generation Kansas physician and a cardiothoracic surgeon, set the wheels in motion to improve access to health care for the 50,000 uninsured living in Wichita-Sedgwick County.
Project Access’ success lies in its relationship-building and thinking creatively to solve community health problems.
When the Medical Society of Sedgwick County (MSSC) took Project Access under its wing, it ensured that there would be an adequate number of doctors available for participation.
Because many uninsured people go to local emergency departments for medical needs that often should be treated and managed in a primary care setting, much of the escalated costs for care for the uninsured are borne by the hospitals.
For years community clinics (FQHCs and privately-funded clinics) had to negotiate with doctors and hospitals to get treatment and diagnostic testing for their uninsured patients.