Five Questions With: Marie Ghazal

"The clinic has grown only through the generosity of committed donors, volunteers, community partners and a dedicated board of directors who all believe that everyone deserves health care."

Marie Ghazal is CEO of the Rhode Island Free Clinic. A registered nurse, she formerly worked as a researcher at the Central Falls Health Center, before becoming its director, and served as vice-president of patient care at Providence Community Health Centers. The Rhode Island Free Clinic recently ended its lottery system and has managed to grow, somewhat counterintuitively, during the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

PBN: How did the ACA leave behind 50,000 Rhode Islanders? Was the Rhode Island Free Clinic hoping, to be put out of business, and did it ever look like it would be?
GHAZAL:
The ACA provided coverage to thousands of Rhode Islanders, but not to everyone. We serve those who earn below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level – $23,540 for a single person, $48,500 for a family of four. The majority are employed adults who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but too little to buy insurance through the healthcare exchange. They cannot afford employer’s insurance, or don’t have any available. Others cannot afford co-pays, sliding fees or any out of pocket expenses and deductibles. There are also residents who have lived in the US for less than five years and are not eligible for Obamacare.

PBN: How many individuals were treated by the Rhode Island Free Clinic in 2013, the last year before the ACA went into effect, and how many were treated last year?
GHAZAL:
In 2013, the clinic provided free health care to 2,059 patients and accepted 316 new patients. This was the largest number of patients ever seen by the clinic. In 2014, the clinic provided free health care to 2,312 patients and accepted 473 new patients, an even greater number than in the prior year. During this period and because of the ACA, the clinic also transitioned 988 patients who became insured to new providers. The clinic is very busy and continues to be an important safety net for our state’s most vulnerable residents.

PBN: You’ve grown as an organization during the past few years, partly through fundraising. Was garnering donations challenging given the widespread public perception that the ACA would be able to cover so many disadvantaged people?
GHAZAL:
The clinic has grown only through the generosity of committed donors, volunteers, community partners and a dedicated board of directors who all believe that everyone deserves health care. In 2014 the clinic raised $1 million in cash and leveraged an additional $5 million in donated patient care and services. By coordinating comprehensive health care for uninsured working poor adults, the clinic prevents millions in uncompensated health care costs by reducing emergency room visits and providing preventive services to manage chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. The clinic suspended its lottery system, and prospective patients now call for an eligibility screening appointment offered daily. If eligible, they have a primary care appointment in less than 2 weeks.

- Advertisement -

PBN: What led to the partnership with CVS MinuteClinic, and at how many locations, all-told, does the Rhode Island Free Clinic serve the public?
GHAZAL
: The clinic’s robust volunteer model relies on our generous statewide network of community partners and volunteers to deliver cost-effective care. In 2012, the clinic partnered with CVS Health to provide free pharmacy services at 4 statewide designated CVS Health stores. This has been a phenomenal service to clinic patients and has grown immensely. When MinuteClinic opened in Rhode Island in 2014, this nationally-innovative partnership expanded to include free after-hours medical care at MinuteClinic for our patients. There are currently seven statewide MinuteClinic locations available for patients to receive treatment and wellness prevention. In addition to our clinic in South Providence, clinic patients can also receive care provided by our statewide physicians network, where patients are seen in the offices of volunteer medical providers around Rhode Island.

PBN: How are the services provided by the Rhode Island Free Clinic different from those offered through, for instance, top-end insurance coverage?
GHAZAL:
The clinic mobilizes a statewide team of over 700 community partners and volunteer medical professionals to deliver quality care and a comprehensive medical home to uninsured adults who would otherwise go without it. As a licensed health care facility, the clinic provides labs and diagnostics, specialty services, and wellness education programs – all free to eligible patients and at a fraction of the cost it would be in any other practice. Patients have access to all the services they need to take care of themselves when they are desperate and cannot afford health care. The clinic’s delivery system works for the uninsured, it is a model worthy of investment for the health of individuals, and Rhode Island.

No posts to display