Many thanks to the 30 physicians who attended the April 21st Doctors on Call Event, sponsored by the NCMS, the Pitt County Medical Society, and WITN-TV in Greenville. These physicians, representing a wide variety of specialties, donated their time to answer viewers’ medical questions, responding to a record 650 calls in six hours. Questions ranged from issues regarding access to care for the uninsured, orthopaedic problems, headaches, skin conditions, allergies, and diabetes and cancer care.
Pamela Lepera, DO, volunteered at the event and was touched by the gratitude of the people to whom she spoke. “One person called me and the rest of us ‘angels that God sent’ and said that what we are doing is good,” she shared. “In hard times, this is a valuable community service.”
at 7:22 am
As one of the docs who fielded calls during the event in Greenville, I was once again struck by the fact that so many Americans in our area have nowhere to call for medical advice and nowhere to go when they need medical care (unless they have an emergency).
America must do better.
Our Community Care of NC (CCNC) program has shown that primary care docs provide great care, at the right time and the right place for NC Medicaid patients. These medical homes are enhanced with care coordinators supplied by CCNC.
We must support healthcare reform that increases access for all Americans to primary care medical homes. As we consider the different aspects of the reform that has been passed, we must look at it from the perspective of our families and our childrens’ families. What kind of a healthcare system do we want to leave for our grandchildren? Do we want to leave a system that serves only those who are wealthy enough to afford to buy healthcare insurance? Do we want to leave a system that burdens our business community with huge costs of insuring their employees; costs not borne by foreign companies competing with us?
Let’s all pull together to get all Americans insured and all Americans having a primary care medical home that they can call when they need help, not just one day a year.
Chuck Willson MD