Valley Project Access Program

Contact Information

Susan Rosen, Executive Director

Valley Project Access Program

Telephone: 203-732-1330

E-mail: srosen@vwhcc.org

About the Program

The Valley Project Access Program is a collaborative endeavor of Griffin Hospital, Hill Health Corporation, Yale Women’s Health and Midwifery, and the Valley Physician Volunteer Network. The primary goal of this Program is to develop and manage a coordinated system for helping uninsured people who cannot afford medical care by providing free specialty care services; reduced fee inpatient, outpatient, ancillary and diagnostic services.

The program works as follows: a patient receives primary care at Community Health Connections, Yale Women’s Health and Midwifery, Convenient Care at Griffin hospital, or in a private physician’s office. If the patient is uninsured; low income (below 200% of poverty); ineligible for Medicaid, health department services, or other available grant programs; and in need of specialty care services he or she will visit an eligibility specialist, receive a Project Access card, and be referred to a specialist in the Valley Physician Volunteer Network.  Half of the specialists with privileges at Griffin hospital have volunteered to offer free services to a specified number of Project Access patients. The Project Access coordinator will assure that their referral pledge is not exceeded, and will call each patient prior to his or her first visit with an appointment reminder. If a Project Access patient requires inpatient, outpatient, diagnostic or ancillary services he or she will be referred to Griffin Hospital by their Network specialist.

Community Health Connection, a satellite location of Hill Health Corporation will serve as a primary enrolment and referral site for Project Access.

Press release for The Valley Project Access Program

The Valley Project Access Program Kickoff

Derby, CT. The kick off event for the Valley Project Access Program on October 29th was a overwhelming success! Over thirty health practitioners in the seven communities of the Lower Naugatuck Valley in Connecticut including private physicians, physician practice managers, nurse practitioners and midwives from Women’s Health and Midwifery, and Hill Health Corporation and Griffin Hospital administrators joined together to celebrate the newly formed Valley Project Access Program, designed to coordinate free care for low income, uninsured Valley residents under 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.

At the event Dr. Kenneth Dobuler, Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Griffin Hospital, was recognized for his vision and leadership in developing and recruiting physicians to participate in the Project Access program. “Lack of health insurance takes a significant toll on both individuals and society,” stated Susan Rosen, Executive Director of the Valley Project Access Program. “With the reduction in services offered by the State,” continued Ms. Rosen, “more of our residents will not be eligible for insurance. We are fortunate to have the vision of Dr. Dobuler. With his leadership the Valley community is coming together to make a difference in how all medically uninsured residents access healthcare.” Currently over half of the private specialists in the Valley with privileges at Griffin Hospital have volunteered to participate in the Program.
 

Following the award presentation, keynote speaker Alan McKenzie, President & CEO of the national non-profit American Project Access Network, explained how the Project Access model of care has been successful in other communities around the nation, and how this model can be replicated to increase access to medical services in the Valley. The presentation was complemented by Joan Altman, Project Coordinator of the Valley Project Access Program, who discussed the logistics of how the Project Access model could be adopted in the Valley. Following the formal remarks, participants actively discussed next steps for implementation and possible collaborations to further increase access to medical services.