United Way of Greater Knoxville’s goal is to help move people in Knoxville/Knox County toward greater self-sufficiency by broadening access to basic health services and health support systems for the uninsured working poor.
The initial measurement of success toward this goal is to increase the number of people who gain access to a medical home.
The longer-term measures of success will be an improvement in the health and health-related quality of life factors for those people who are served.
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- Start Date: July 1, 2007 (3-year project ending June 30, 2010)
- 3-year United Way donor investment: $3.7 million ($170/person/year)
- Partners: Cherokee Health Systems, InterFaith Health Clinic, Knoxville Area Project Access (KAPA)
- Knoxville Area Project Access provides primary intake services, including provider referrals, targeted outreach and educational programs. To reach KAPA contact: 865-531-2766.
- Cherokee Health Systems and InterFaith Health Clinic will provide medical/behavioral/preventative health services to eligible patients.
- Purpose: Help move people in Knoxville/Knox County toward greater self-sufficiency by broadening access to basic health services and health support systems for working uninsured individuals.
- What is a medical home? A provider or system which will deliver on-going medical, behavioral health and preventative services to the working uninsured.
- Long-term desired outcomes:
- Improving the health of the community by providing healthcare for those who do not currently have access.
- Relieving the burden of the hospital systems by providing primary health care outside of the emergency room setting.
- Improving the health of those individuals served through the establishment of a physician patient relationship in order to provide the full spectrum of health services from preventative screenings to chronic disease management.
- Reduce the burden of the costs of seeking healthcare without health insurance in order to assist those individuals with achieving a greater sense of self-sufficiency.
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In a collaborative partnership,
Cherokee Health Systems,
InterFaith Health Clinic and
Knoxville Area Project Access (KAPA) have agreed to expand their current capacity to serve the working uninsured in Knox County by a minimum of 7,250 people.
Not only will this population receive affordable access to a medical home, but they will also learn to use the medical system cost-efficiently and responsibly, thereby reducing the strain on local emergency room and charitable care resources.
The proposal adds health care professionals to the staffs of Cherokee and InterFaith to provide primary care services directly to the working uninsured. It also adds administrative staff to KAPA to provide the necessary oversight and screening for the overall program and to manage access to specialists.
Our focus is to help Knox County residents achieve their potential for self-sufficiency by ensuring that those who don’t have the means for conventional insurance and don’t qualify for state or federal programs to have access to the medical care they need.
The costs proposed to create the additional capacity are $1.1 million the first year and $1.27 and $1.3 in years 2 and 3 for a total three-year cost of $3.7 million. This cost translates into $170 per year per person served. This is the single largest donor investment targeting a key community issue in United Way of Greater Knoxville’s over 85-year history.
Continuation of funding over the three-year period will be contingent upon demonstration and review of measurable results on an annual basis in the areas of people served as well as improvement in key health indicators for that population as approved by UWGK.
We are currently working together to provide a “self-sufficiency improvement rating” for this population. A three-year commitment will also allow the agencies time to pursue alternative funding sources; measurable results will make that job easier.
We believe this is an important first step in helping create lasting change in our community. In light of our county’s health crisis, ensuring that working people have access to basic preventative care and wellness support is critical to supporting them in their pursuit of self-sufficiency.
For more information on the medical home initiative, contact:
United Way of Greater Knoxville at (865)523-9131
For information on enrolling in the program, contact:
Knoxville Area Project Access at (865)531-2766
InterFaith Health Clinic at (865)546-7330
Cherokee Health Systems (865)544-0406
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