Safe Disposal of Medicine
The Good Samaritan Health Clinic of Pasco, Inc. (GSHC) or "Good Sam" is a volunteer-driven, non-profit organization located in New Port Richey, FL that has been providing quality, non-emergency medical and dental services, including prescriptions, free of charge, to uninsured, limited-income residents of Pasco County since 1990. We serve adults' ages 18 to 64 years. Pasco County residents meet eligibility requirements if they have no health insurance and their income is at 200% or below Federal Poverty level. They are asked to provide a state-issued Identification, Social Security card, and proof of income. They meet with an Eligibility and Referral Specialist to fill out an application, medical history, and Florida Health forms to determine their eligibility. Generally, it takes one to two weeks to get an appointment. We treat serious chronic conditions like Diabetes, Hypertension, COPD and high cholesterol prevalent in our population, with effective pharmaceuticals and education regarding diet and lifestyle. GSHC volunteer healthcare professionals and staff contribute to the continuity of care necessary to prevent excessive emergency room visits. We reduce the number of preventable hospital admissions.
The need is for medically underserved, uninsured individuals to be given access to quality, affordable healthcare services. They are generally the working poor. Their income is at 200% or below Federal Poverty level. In Pasco County, the percentage of uninsured individuals is 15%. Our part of West Pasco is dominated by a service industry with our location near coastal waters and the beaches of Florida. Many jobs are part time in retail, restaurants, hotels, and tourist shops, all industries slowly recovering from the pandemic. A number of critical health issues are reported in Pasco County. Heart Disease represents the second highest cause of death. Diabetes is diagnosed in 12% of adults by age 20 (Florida Health, 2018). GSHC offers free medical and dental care, and a pharmacy. Laboratory services and medications are necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases. They include Asthma, COPD, Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Hypertension. We are part of Florida's safety-net of healthcare organizations, and a member of both the National Association of Free Clinics (NAFC) and the Florida Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (FAFCC). Our patients are given free healthcare services. We provide comprehensive primary care that includes all their diagnostic testing and medications at no cost to the patient. We provide the Continuum Of Care necessary to keep patients from needing hospitalization for untreated conditions. We continue our collaboration with local hospitals by educating patients not to use hospital Emergency Rooms for non-emergent care. With these objectives, we help reduce healthcare costs in our community by approximately $3M each year (Consumer Health Ratings, 2020). By offering these services, BayCare Health provides us salary and benefits for a Full Time Nurse Practitioner, Beth Moore, APRN. Our collaboration with Premier Community HealthCare includes our invitation to their Community Support Specialist to assist our patients with the application for Medicaid and Food Stamps. A significant part of primary care requires the provider to make a diagnosis. Lab tests are critical for making that determination and medications are needed for treatment. We document every lab ordered and medication prescribed in our EMR. Patients are provided these additional services with our program. With the data generated we are able to evaluate lab values and assess all medications prescribed, to determine if other forms of treatment are necessary.
Funds from AHEI will be used for the safe disposal of medications.