Stimulus Saved NP Clinic
In case you were wondering what good the recently passed economic stimulus bill did, here's a great example: Today's Washington Post reported on a small rural health clinic outside Washington, D.C., that received enough funding, in the nick of time, to operate for two years. The article describes the plight of Deborah Foerter, NP, who works at the nonprofit clinic inside the Nanjemoy Community Center in Nanjemoy, Md. The clinic's 750 patients live just 37 miles outside the nation's capital, yet most are uninsured or receive Medicaid health insurance, and many aren't able to afford cars. It would have taken many of them hours to reach the closest clinic that took Medicaid, if they sought care at all:
Without the clinic, Foerter said, many people wouldn't go to the doctor at all, whether out of stubbornness or a lack of transportation, or they would wait until they needed an ambulance. Without the clinic, patients tell her, they might as well start making funeral arrangements.
Read "Patching the Safety Net" to learn more about how the funds for this clinic will help the community.