Press Releases: Northwest
January 17, 2008
Kaiser Permanente to provide free medical care to uninsured patients on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Northeast Portland clinic will care for 25 patients; Vancouver, Washington clinic will provide medical and eye care to more than 130 patients
PORTLAND, Ore. – Since northeast Portland resident Edmund Kizer lost his job and health insurance three years ago, he's been trying to manage his diabetes by himself – borrowing insulin from a friend and guessing at how much he should use. "When I took too much insulin, my blood sugar would drop and and then it was hard to breathe," said Kizer, a 52-year-old who owns his own janitorial business. "I'd feel like I was going to faint. When I didn't take enough and my blood sugar was too high, I was off balance and my thinking wasn't right."
Fortunately, Kizer heard about North by Northeast Community Health Center, a medical clinic that is open six nights a month to provide free care to residents in northeast Portland. Kizer met with clinic director, Dr. Jill Ginsberg, who laid out a plan to help him get his blood sugar under control. She put Kizer on some new medication and set up another appointment to talk about diet and exercise.
That appointment will take place on Monday, Jan. 21 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It's just one part of a vast effort intended to honor Dr. King's legacy with a day of service. On Monday, Kaiser Permanente will pay more than 750 employees to work at 19 sites throughout the Kaiser Permanente service area, from Vancouver, Washington, to Salem, Oregon.
"Thanks to volunteers from Kaiser Permanente, we'll be able to see about 25 patients on Monday," said Ginsberg, who, in addition to running the free clinic is also a part-time physician at Kaiser Permanente. "It means a lot to our patients that these doctors and nurses care about their situation and want to help."
Kaiser Permanente volunteers will also provide free medical care to 60 patients, as well as eye exams and glasses to another 65 patients, at the Free Clinic of Southwest Washington in Vancouver. The eye care appointments have been pre-scheduled; they start at 8 a.m. Non-urgent medical appointments start at 9 a.m. and are available on a walk-in basis.
Also on Monday, Kaiser Permanente dentists will provide free exams and dental care for 10 school-age children at the North Interstate Dental office.
The largest group of volunteers – more than 250 employees – will sort and repackage food at the Oregon Food Bank. Smaller groups will refurbish donated bicycles, prepare food, gather clothing and hygiene items for farm workers, and paint school classrooms and community centers.
(See attached list for complete list of volunteer locations)
