ent Left Behind

Innovative medical program
targets the Jewish uninsured.

KERI GUTEN COHEN

Story Development Editor

D

r. Gary Burnstein dreamed of creating a free clinic where
Jews without medical insurance would receive care with
dignity.
Unfortunately, he died before realizing that goal, but the dream
did not die with him.
The challenge has been met by Jewish Family Service of
Metropolitan Detroit, with much input from Jewish lay leaders and
physicians, Jewish agencies and area hospitals.
Project Chessed (loving kindness) launches this month. Instead of
a free clinic, Project Chessed is a comprehensive "clinic without
walls" that allows the Jewish community to care for its own, mostly
by Jewish physicians volunteering services in their own offices.
And many desperately need the help.
A needs assessment survey sent to 3,200
households, including all Jewish day
school families and the full membership
of three synagogues, in the spring of 2003 pinpoints that up to 10
percent of the community's 96,000 Jews have no medical insurance.
"As the economic climate here in Michigan has worsened, more
and more Jews have been affected," said Dr. Steven P. Dunn, a
cornea surgeon who heads the Project Chessed steering committee.
"Project Chessed evolved as it became clear that many individuals
within the Jewish community were in need of health care and for a
variety of reasons were not getting it."
In the United States, an estimated 41 million low-income
Americans ages 18-65 are uninsured, according to a Henry J. Kaiser
Family Foundation study. Children and seniors have coverage
through Medicaid, Medicare and state programs, but the 18-65 age
group falls through the cracks.
The JFS survey, funded with $24,000 from the community's
Jewish Fund, cut across geographic and denominational streams, and
showed that the problem is split evenly between Oak Park-
Southfield-Lathrup Village and West Bloomfield-Bloomfield Hills-
Farmington Hills, says Rachel Yoskowitz, JFS director of health and
healing initiatives.
"Who would've thought the needs were so great?" she said. "The
assessment was really important. It's not only poor or large families
who need assistance. This is linked to the economy. The fastest-
growing income group among the uninsured are those making
$70,000 and above.
"It's a terrible situation. People who used to contribute to the
community now are recipients."

COVER STORY

Crying Need

Answers to the survey reveal the depth of immediate need:
"I know of people who do not have health insurance and are
embarrassed to tell anyone."
"I have trouble paying , for medication."
"At times, I did not receive medical care because my insurance