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Caring for All
Scott Karlstrom had been suffering with a hernia for months. A life-long
resident of Champaign, Karlstrom's employment as a part time motorcycle mechanic
afforded him no health insurance benefits. Meanwhile, his condition
worsened.
Since receiving surgical services at Provena Covenant Medical Center, which
he received through the assistance of the Medical Center's financial assistance
policy, Scott Karlstrom of Champaign is back to doing all the things he loves -
including riding his motorcycle with ease!
"It got to the point where I couldn't lift anything," says Karlstrom. "It
hurt when I walked, affected my ability to do my job, prevented me from riding
my motorcycle, and it even got so bad that I had to wear a hernia belt to
maintain some level of comfort."
Knowing that he had to take action before his condition got even worse,
Karlstrom began investigating any local resources that may be at his disposal as
an uninsured person in need of surgery. At first, he found them a little hard to
come by.
"I began looking into local healthcare providers but found that many did not
offer the kind of assistance I needed," says Karlstrom. "With my condition, it
became really difficult to do the legwork on my own, so I was really glad when I
discovered the Champaign County Health Care Consumers. They hooked me up with
the help I needed."
That help came from Provena Covenant Medical Center by way of the Medical
Center's Financial Assistance Policy. Implemented throughout Provena Health, the
Policy gives support to all individuals with limited financial resources who are
unable to access entitlement programs or are otherwise eligible based upon the
United States Government's Federal Poverty Guidelines.
The policy is reviewed and updated annually to ensure the guidelines meet the
needs of our uninsured and underinsured patients. It also reflects the solicited
input from community members on application process improvements, and allows
patients to apply for assistance at any point in the billing process. Having a
consistent policy across all of Provena Health ensures patients like Scott, who
is one of the more than 40,000 estimated Champaign County residents who lacks
access to primary care, can receive the care they need without worrying about
his or her ability to pay.
A key link for patients in need are financial counselors like Provena
Covenant Medical Center's Beth Bailey. "Individuals like Beth dedicate
themselves to making the financial assistance application process as easy as
possible for our patients, assisting with clarification of the guidelines,
answering questions pertaining to eligibility and providing prompt communication
with patients regarding the status of their application," says Vicki Semanie,
Chief Financial Officer for the Provena Central Illinois Region, which includes
Provena Covenant Medical Center.
"As soon as I learned about the Financial Assistance Policy, one of the first
things I did was come into the hospital and meet with Beth," says Karlstrom.
"She was wonderful. She reviewed the levels of financial assistance with me, and
when we determined that I qualified for 100 percent assistance, she helped me to
fill out the paperwork."
Within days, Karlstrom was scheduled for surgery, and a specialized
anesthesiologist was even called in to handle any necessary care required due to
Karlstrom's heart murmur.
"I can't say enough about Provena Covenant Medical Center. It means
everything to me that they offer these types of resources to the community, and
I'm so thankful that they were there for me when I needed them," says
Karlstrom.
Having a consistent policy across all of Provena Health ensures patients
like Scott, who is one of the more than 40,000 estimated Champaign County
residents who lacks access to primary care, can receive the care they need
without worrying about his or her ability to pay.
View Provena Covenant Medical
Center's 2006 fact sheet (PDF).
Read the rest of the Provena Health 2006 Community Benefit Annual
Report
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