Saturday, April 26, 2008

Bravo Doctor Stuart!


Yes Virginia, there are some people out there...some of them even doctors, that really see the need to treat the segment of the population that need them most. Those without health insurance. This is one of those stories.

After 22 years in private practice and getting tired of seeing people get "kicked around by the system" Dr. Lorna Stuart found herself frustrated by the medical system and community and now she has done something fantastic about it.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau there are currently 47 million Americans going about their daily lives without health insurance. Having been there myself I know that they are just one major medical emergency away from a major financial situation. We used to just hold our breath that Max would not break an arm or leg on his skateboard. When we got sick we just waited it out and bought every "over the counter" medication that we could find.

Dr. Stuart had become very frustrated with the insurance companies and the rules and restrictions that came with them,

"The day-to-day time that I spent on paperwork was increasing, while my patients weren't getting the good care that I wanted to give them -- face-to-face time, one-on-one time," she recalls. "I vowed to do whatever little I could about this inequity of care."

"Every single person knows somebody without health insurance," says Stuart. "There are so many people that fall through the cracks."

So, she decided to do something about it. She sold her home, gave up her private practice and began to raise funds to open a clinic. Her efforts have resulted in" The Clinic: Medical Center for the Uninsured". Many patients pay as little as a dollar, even 50 cents, as the patients who may pay in full and receive the same treatment.

"Each day, I get to treat the patients whom our medical system has forgotten, without the hassle of insurance paperwork," says Stuart. "Is it any wonder I once again feel the real joy of practicing the craft that I love?"

Many kudos to Dr. Stuart!!

3 comments:

Cart B4 Horse said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
What If There Is dog? said...

Hi,Dharma,nice post,the world would be allot less enjoyable without all you GREAT women:-)

Dharma said...

Even more without a great doctor like this one!!