Project Access San Diego Helps Uninsured Get Needed Surgeries

San Diego County Medical Society Foundation and Kaiser Permanente Treat 40 Uninsured San Diego County Patients

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Approximately 40 people without health insurance and in desperate need of outpatient procedures will receive free medical procedures through Project Access San Diego, a project of the San Diego County Medical Society Foundation.  The procedures will be performed in partnership with Kaiser Permanente San Diego at the Otay Mesa facility on Saturday, October 23.

Surgeries to be performed include gallbladder removals, hernia repairs, cataract removals, and gynecological surgeries. In many cases, these patients have been living with pain and unable to work due to their medical conditions. Providing the surgery will put them back to work and allow them to provide for their families. Kitty Bailey, executive director, San Diego County Medical Society Foundation states, "This program gets people out of the emergency rooms and back to good health so that they can return to work or caring for their families.  This is possible because of the generosity of our volunteers."

More than 150 volunteers from Kaiser Permanente, including surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, operating room technicians, administrative staff, environmental services staff, laboratory technicians and pharmacists will donate their time to perform the procedures.  Senior Vice President and Executive Director for KP San Diego, Mary Ann Barnes says the project embodies KP's social mission, "Improving the health in our communities is embedded in our roots and our culture.  To that end, we share our assets, our research, our expertise, and we share ourselves."

"This program changes lives," said County Supervisor Greg Cox, a longtime supporter of Project Access. "It also eases the burden on our overburdened emergency room system, which helps all of us."

To qualify for care through Project Access San Diego, an individual must live in San Diego County, be ineligible for public health programs, be low-income, and be referred by a community health center. Over 550 patients have received free specialty care, including both inpatient and outpatient surgeries and procedures, since Project Access San Diego's inception in December 2008.

Project Access San Diego is a coordinated, donated network of healthcare services available to low-income, uninsured patients and is run in partnership with local healthcare facilities. Volunteers are the heart of Project Access San Diego's success as they selflessly give of their time to improve the health of people in San Diego County. More than 400 volunteers, including surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, operating room technicians, administrative staff, EVS staff, laboratory technicians and pharmacists have donated their time in the past year. Participating medical facilities include Kaiser Permanente San Diego (www.kp.org), Palomar Pomerado Hospital system, University of California San Diego Hospital system, Tri-City Hospital system, Surgery One outpatient centers and the San Diego Outpatient Ambulatory Surgical Center.

About Project Access San Diego (www.SDCMSF.org)

About Kaiser Permanente (www.kaiserpermanente.org)

SOURCE San Diego County Medical Society