August Spotlight Series: #AccessGrantedCLT
#AccessGrantedCLT
Presented by: Clinispan Health
This August, SHARE Charlotte’s Spotlight Series: #AccessGrantedCLT, presented by CliniSpan Health, will focus in on our local nonprofit partners who in some way make healthcare accessible to those who may otherwise not be able to receive the help they need. These nonprofit organizations grant accessibility to healthcare in a variety of ways such as by providing financial assistance, medical supplies and equipment, transportation, and free or low cost health clinics.
Listed below are many of SHARE Charlotte’s nonprofit partners who work to provide assistance to those in our community who are uninsured or underinsured and are in need of help bridging the gap between the medical care they can afford and the medical care they need. Click here to explore more of our nonprofit partners in this sector of work and not only read how they are helping our community, but how you can get involved.
Florence Crittenton Services' mission is to promote health and hope for tomorrow's children by providing health, educational and social services for single pregnant and non-pregnant individuals and their families. Our variety of services include: shelter, counseling, medical and health care, education services and vocational training, spiritual enrichment, nutrition education, early child development education, adoption support, a maternity program for single pregnant individuals, mother-infant residential foster care program, non-pregnant residential foster care program, and aftercare services.
ChemoCars provides free on-demand rides to and from cancer treatment via Uber and Lyft. Each year, over 3.6 million people miss medical appointments due to transportation issues, and ChemoCars seeks to end this problem. We provide thousands of free rides to cancer patients, and we provided 2,240 rides in 2017.
Hospice & Palliative Care’s goal is to provide comfort and peace of mind since 1978, and their outstanding level of services speaks to this expertise. Their continuum of care allows them to provide specialized services to patients in their homes, in skilled nursing facilities, and in assisted living communities. They are the most experienced organization of their kind, serving three counties in South Carolina, and eight counties in North Carolina.
Carolina Comfort Coalition’s Serenity House
Carolina Comfort Coalition’s Serenity House bridges the gap for hospice families who have exhausted all of their options. Their commitment is to provide 24-hours a day aid to the neediest of families who have the least resources, and to care for as many patients as their four beds can accommodate. No family is ever charged a fee for their services, so they are able to serve without financial discrimination. Over 140 volunteers a week, acting as the resident’s surrogate family, work with Serenity House nurses and local hospice agencies to provide a safe and nurturing environment to those who share the home. As families become fractured and unable to stay together, they offer an opportunity for many of their residents to have the family and compassionate care that they might not have otherwise.
Angel in Disguise serves as patient advocation and provides free rides and accompanies patients to appointments, runs errands for them, and offers support to them and their families. This nonprofit was created by Angela Baker, a stage 4 breast cancer patient who wants to help families and individuals going through the same challenging process she has experienced.
Charlotte Speech and Hearing Center
Charlotte Speech and Hearing Center provides superior speech-language and hearing devices to individuals based on their personal budget. They create individualized hearing solutions using their outstanding patient care, and they run speech and hearing community programs for the underserved.
Heartbright Foundation promotes cardiovascular wellness through prevention and awareness programs and partnerships in the Charlotte Mecklenburg area. They focus mainly on cardiovascular wellness and education by treating health problems such as diabetes, stroke, and hypertension. They have a free clinic in the SouthEnd area which helps patients that have (or are at high risk for) Heart Disease or Diabetes.
Teen Health Connection is a healthcare practice that provides a safe, family-centered environment for all adolescents (ages 11 to 22). Services include comprehensive medical and mental healthcare along with health education delivered to teens with a focus on substance abuse prevention and teen pregnancy prevention. The healthcare provided is tailored to the unique needs of teens during a time in their lives when life and health can be confusing and difficult to navigate.
Assist ME takes in gently used medical and mobility equipment and gifts it to low income, uninsured patients. With the right equipment, patients are 90% less likely to fall or be re-admitted. They serve 4 to 5 patients per week!
Bee Mighty provides funding for medical therapy and equipment to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) graduates. They seek to allow parents to focus on each other and their child without worrying about financial problems resulting from uninsured equipment and therapy.
Care Ring is dedicated to providing health services to those who are lacking access to affordable, high quality preventative health care. They empower individuals with limited resources to establish and maintain good health through three main programs: a Low-Cost Clinic, Nurse- Family Partnership and Physicians Reach Out. Care Ring annually serves more than 7,000 citiznes of Mecklenburg County, and aims to be a leader in collaborative community health initiatives.
Charlotte Community Health Clinic
Charlotte Community Health Clinic (CCHC) provides health services to low income individuals who are lacking insured health care. CCHC is a comprehensive primary health care facility that provides a vareity of health care services. These services include: acute and chronic disease treatment and management, preventative health services, behavioral health, women's health, pediatrics, diagnostics, health education, and dental services. Uninsured patients are accomidated based on family size and income.
Lake Norman Community Health Clinic
Lake Norman Community Health Clinic (LNCHC) is the oldest and largest medical provider serving the uninsured in Mecklenburg and South Iredell counties. LNCHC provides acute care, chronic disease care, and referrals to specialists free of charge to their patients.
Hands for Holly Fund helps local families who are caring for children with a life altering illness or injury by providing financial aid for emergency expenses not covered by insurance. Their goal is for families in crisis to be able to focus their energy on caring for their loved one, and not finding the money to keep the lights on.
Planned Parenthood provides health care services, essential education and support to individuals in need. They focus on compassionate, nonjudgemental health care including preventiative services such as birth control, breast and cervical cancer screenings and sexual health education.
Matthews Free Medical Clinic provides free, quality healthcare to low income, uninsured citizens of Mecklenburg and Union Counties. They are a medical home that focuses on primary care and chronic disease management as well as several specialities. Additionally, they offer ancillary services, education, and preventative services.
All Things Possible Medical Fundraising helps families in medical crises by bridging the gap between what insurance pays and the true costs of treatment. They are supported through public events and fundraising which allows them to pay for the out of pocket medical equipment needed for children and adults in need.
Carolinas Care Partnership works to connect not only those living with HIV/AIDS with the critial resources they need but also educate those potentially at risk about prevention. They provide free and confidential testing, education, housing assistance, prevention intervention and supportive services. They also have a mobile testing unit that takes their HIV prevention program across many counties in the Charlotte region
Be the Match is the world's leading nonprofit organization that focuses on saving lives through marrow and cord blood transplantation. They continuously improve access to transplant by managing the world's largest donor registry, supporting patients and families throughout the transplant process, conducting research to expand treatment and improve outcomes, and educating the public in their life saving mission.
NC MedAssist is a nonprofit pharmacy program that provides access to lifesaving prescription medications, patient support, advocacy and related services to the poor, vulnerable, and uninsured North Carolina residents. They provide a Free Pharmacy Program to NC residents who are low-income and uninsured, an Over The Counter Medicine Program that provides low-income adults and children with free OTC medicines, and a Senior Care Program that gives adults 65 and over access to a pharmacy resource.
The Go Jen Go Foundation is dedicated to providing critical financial assistance to local individuals and families who are battling breast cancer. Their services also include aid during diagnosis, treatment and recovery. The foundation hopes that no survivor will be distracted by financial burdens while fighting breast cancer.
The National Kidney Foundation is the leading organization in the U.S. dedicated to the awareness, prevention, and treatment of kidney disease for hundreds of thousands of healthcare professionals, millions of patients and their families, and tens of millions of Americans at risk.
America's ToothFairy, the National Children's Oral Health Foundation (NCOHF) was founded to increase access to oral health care by supporting non-profit clinics and community partners delivering educaiton, prevention, and treatment services for underserved children. Pediatric dental disease is one of the leading chronic childhood diseases in the US, and America's ToothFairy is fighting to make sure underserved youth receive dental care.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to fighting blood cancer. The LLS mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Their two offices serve thousands of patients across the entire state, providing co-pay and travel assistance, educational materials, and a platform for corporations and individuals to help LLS achieve its mission to eradicate blood cancer.
The Steve Smith Family Foundation
The Steve Smith Family Foundation is dedicated to providing hope and inspiration to those in need and advancing causes that are close to the heart of the founder's family. The foundation is partnered with the YMCA to promote programs championing a healthy lifestyle, and with Project 658 to provide the Smith Family Wellness center, a free clinic that provides medical services to those who have struggled to find adequate care in the past.
These are not the only organizations who are helping to grant access to health care and medical assistance in our community. In fact, there are many local nonprofits who help to provide access to mental health care in particular who we highlighted in our Spotlight Series: #MindYourMentalHealth throughout the month of May, which you can read in it’s entirety here.