• SosnIrsk Award Winnpr JFS' Project Chessed grows to serve needs of the Jewish uninsured. they receive care. Other than a $5 co-pay for prescriptions, no payment is required. Keri Guten Cohen Story Development Editor W hen you live in Metro Detroit, you inevitably are touched by the economic depression that has settled over the state. You probably know at least someone who has been laid off, someone who is trying to sell a house so they can move elsewhere, someone having difficulty making ends meet each month. Detroit's Jewish community is not immune to these hardships. Of 3,200 Jewish households in Metro Detroit, 5 percent of families are medically uninsured; another 5 percent are underin- sured. That estimate of about 2,000 people may seem a small number compared to the 46 million Americans nationwide without health insurance, but if you fall into that category, the results could be catastrophic. In June 2005, Jewish Family Service in West Bloomfield began an innovative program called Project Chessed that helps connect uninsured Jewish adults (ages 19- 64) to volunteer providers. The number of recipients has grown steadily since 2005. So far, 877 individuals have been served, with an estimated $5 million in health care provided free by 561 volunteer physi- cians, 60 dentists, three pharmacies, five optical shops, 12 specialty medical groups, nutritionists, an acupuncturist, a physical therapist and 10 local medical institutions. The current list of active patients is about 450. This "clinic without walls" is "an inspi- rational example of a community coming together to care for its most vulnerable people in a coordinated, comprehensive and compassionate manner:' said Karen Sosnick Schoenberg as she presented Project Chessed on Dec. 11 with the Jewish Fund's Robert Sosnick Award of Excellence. Schoenberg is a fund board member and chairs the award committee named for her father. The award came with $25,000 to go toward the program, which is headed by JFS' Rachel Yoskowitz. The Jewish Fund gave a $239,000 start-up grant, now in its fourth year, and also a one-year $50,000 grant to cover prescription medication costs. Heeding The Call • • 4 • • • • • • • z 4 • • • * f 4 • • • 4 • • . • • * • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • A * $ • < • • • • • G • 4 • • Dr. Doug Woll, Project Chessed steering committee member; Rachel Yoskowitz, Project Chessed director; and Dr. Steve Dunn, chair, Project Chessed steering committee, with the Sosnick Award. "How do you accept recognition for doing the right thing for the community?" Yoskowitz said. "In receiving the Sosnick Award, I realize it's an honor, but it comes with an obligation and responsibility to move the program forward to new levels of excellence that will continue to meet the stan- dards of the award and to bring honor to the Sosnick name. "As a community, we are committed to covering the uninsured with dignity and chessed, acts of loving kindness, as long as the need persists." Chessed care coordinators work closely with clients to manage their care, ensure understanding of their treatment plan, monitor compliance with that plan and help them with other needs beyond health care. An electronic record-tracking program adapted to meet the project's needs aids in documenting outcomes and in better management of the overall referral network. To ensure dignity, each patient receives a Chessed card, much like an insurance card, to use at doctors' offices or when ED "The providers are the heart and soul of the program:' Schoenberg said. "Their gift of time, talent and compassion is simply amazing." Dr. Douglas Woll, chief medical officer and senior vice president of Blue Care Network of Michigan, is one such provider. "Project Chessed is one of those unique programs that creates real value for indi- viduals, families and communities," he said. "Access to health care is one of the most critical determinants of well-being. Chessed facilitates this in a thoughtful and prudent manner and in a way that sup- ports the dignity and preferences of those it attempts to help. I am proud to be asso- ciated with such a wonderful program." Dr. Michael Dorman, a dermatologist, put it this way: "This program summariz- es Jewish values. We teach our kids about giving back to the community. This is a great way for us to show them how — and for us to give back." Anonymous patient testimonies prove Project Chessed is working. "Project Chessed is a lifesaver for me. It's helping me go through the tough time. Thank you:' wrote one patient. Another wrote: "The program is excep- tional and beyond any expectations I had. The services and the providers are profes- sional and empathetic. Thanks to you for helping me get back on my feet during this upheaval." This year, dental and vision plans were added. Next year, staff will focus on wider recruitment of providers, improved acces- sibility to cost-free medications and out- reach to the eligible target population. Project Chessed partners include William Beaumont Hospitals, Botsford Health Care Continuum, Detroit Medical Center, Henry Ford Health System, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Millennium Diagnostic Center, Providence Hospital & Medical Center, St. John Macomb, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland and Straith Hospital. For a confidential screening, call Project Chessed at Jewish Family Service, (248) 592- 2321. December 27 • 2007 B1