Uninsured Diabetes Group Visit Pilot Receives Funding

Oct. 27, 2011 For Immediate Release

Raleigh, N.C. – Alliance Medical Ministry continues to implement new and innovative ways to effectively manage the health of their underserved patient population and increase capacity with limited resources.  Of Alliance’s active 8,000 patients, nearly 15%, are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Seeing each of these patients four times a year in accordance with ADA Clinical Practice Guidelines represents 35% of total patient encounters for the year and limits the number of new patients Alliance can welcome into the practice.

As a result, Alliance is piloting group patient encounters focusing on their female diabetic population with the end goal of improving health outcomes as well as increasing provider and clinic capacity.  “In 2010, we launched a Diabetes Education Program in partnership with the Diabetes Center at Duke Raleigh.  From that experience we saw other opportunities to improve and expand access to care,” said Sean Harrison, Executive Director and Co-founder of Alliance.  “We were honored to learn last week that Duke University Health System will continue to partner with our diabetes program by being the initial funder to support our Group Encounter Pilot.” 

The group visit will be an extended doctor’s office encounter where not only physical and medical needs are met, but educational, social and psychological concerns can be dealt with effectively.  Initially, the will focus will be Alliance’s diabetic population who are high utilizers of primary care.  The vision is to expand to other chronic diseases.    

“We are all duty bound to care.  Regardless of your financial or health insurance status, we all pay for the lack of access to affordable care within our community,” said Dr. Tara Burnett-Lewis, Medical Director at Alliance.  “If we can simplify healthcare for our patients and engage them in supportive network like a group encounter where they take responsibility for their health, we have all won.” 

“Duke Medicine appreciates our ongoing partnership with Alliance Medical Ministry and the extraordinary care that organization provides to an underserved part of our community,” said Doug Vinsel, President of Duke Raleigh Hospital.  “We are proud to be a part of this innovative pilot program to continue to address access and treatment for a vulnerable diabetic population."

Alliance Medical Ministry is a faith-based nonprofit providing a medical home to the working uninsured of Wake County.  More than 150,000 adult residents of Wake County, lack access to affordable acute and primary medical care. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 79% of the uninsured in North Carolina reside in a working household.  Without insurance these hard-working citizens are less likely to receive preventive care, and are more likely to be hospitalized for conditions that could have been prevented which can quickly lead to medical debt. 

Alliance currently provides a primary care medical home to more than 8,000 low-income adults, with 98% having an annual household income of less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.  Comprehensive medical care provided at Alliance includes acute and chronic medical care, pharmacy services, health education, disease management, and counseling.  Patients are referred to Alliance from local area hospital emergency departments, from the Health Department and other local social service organizations.  Many are patients who would otherwise go to local emergency rooms for treatment of non-emergency health care needs, costing approximately $1,596 per visit.  The clinic is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM and select Saturday from 9 AM to 12 PM.  For more information call, 919-250-9254 or go to http://www.alliancemedicalministry.org.

About Duke Raleigh Hospital

Duke Raleigh Hospital, a part of the world-renowned Duke University Health System, is a 186-bed acute-care facility on Wake Forest Road in North Raleigh with services including a cancer center, orthopaedic center, diabetes center, wound healing center, 24-hour emergency department, intensive and critical care, cardiovascular center, cardiac and pulmonary rehab, wellness services and community education. Duke Raleigh Hospital was the first hospital in the state recognized with the Hallmarks for Healthy Workplaces distinction for nursing excellence and has also received Magnet designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.   For more information, visit www.dukeraleighhospital.org or call 919-954-3293.