ounty Medical Society Services nonprofit program that matches uninsured and underinsured patients with specialty doctors who care, will honor 79 volunteer physicians at an award ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 24 at the West Palm Beach Marriott beginning at 8:45 a.m.
Since 2017, volunteer physicians have donated more than $2.5 million of care through nearly 4,000 patient appointments, and for the past 15 years, Project Access has provided more than $14.4 million in healthcare services in Palm Beach County, including screenings, direct care and assistance in finding critical community resources.
No matter how much time a physician chooses to donate, the impact is enormous. According to Dr. Maureen Whelihan, a gynecologist who has been treating patients as a volunteer for many years, “If every physician in Palm Beach County was willing to do their small part and join our effort, together we could easily serve the needs of the uninsured and underinsured in our community.”
“At Project Access, we are eternally grateful to the volunteer physicians who donate their time and talent to ensure that patients receive the critical healthcare they need,” said Karen Harwood, director of community programs for PBCMSS. “Recognizing the important work they are doing to make Palm Beach County healthier is a small token of our appreciation.”
Dr. Andrew Larson, chair of Project Access and a volunteer surgeon, has seen first-hand how this community effort helps keep patients healthy and out of the emergency room. Speaking about a patient he treated, Larson said, “This man never burdened the system with additional emergency room visits and received diabetes education and monitoring through the resident clinic in an ongoing fashion. Without the guidance of Project Access staff, it is unlikely he would have discovered this resource on his own, and it is very likely he would have ended up with several emergency room bills.”
For more information about the award ceremony or how to become a part of Project Access, contact Harwood at karenh@pbcms.org or visit www.projectaccesspbc.org.
