Donated Care
Our Donated Care program is comprised of a network of over 350 providers who pledge to donate a set number of appointments to uninsured Pierce County residents living at or below 300% of the federal poverty level (FPL).
How does the program work?
Patients can only be enrolled through physician referrals.
When an uninsured patient requires specialty care, their primary care provider submits a referral to Pierce County Project Access. And the patient submits an application.
Both a complete referral and a complete application are necessary before review by Pierce County Project Access Coordinators. Incomplete referrals and/or applications will not be processed until both are complete. Patients will be notified of any issues. It is the patient’s responsibility to ensure both are complete.
Referrals and applications are reviewed for completeness and verified for income and residency requirements. Once patient eligibility and provider availability are confirmed, we can enroll the patient and schedule their first appointment with a donating provider.
Interpreter services are available when necessary. Patients can schedule follow-up appointments directly with the provider until care is complete.
Donated Services
Services are subject to the availability of providers. Limitations apply.
Audiology
Cardiology
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Colorectal Surgery¹
Dermatology
Endocrinology
ENT
Gastroenterology¹
General/Breast Surgery
Gynecology
Gynecology/Oncology
Hematology
Hematology/Oncology
Imaging²
Labs
Nephrology
Neurology
Nutrition/Dietary
Occupational Therapy
Oncology
Ophthalmology³
Orthopedics
Physical Therapy⁴
Podiatry⁵
Primary Care⁶
Pulmonology
Radiation Oncology
Sleep Medicine
Urogynecology
Urology
¹ no screening colonoscopies
² no screening mammograms
³ cataract cases only
⁴ no low-back pain referrals
⁵ No ingrown toe nail, foot fungus, diabetic foot exam, or plantar fasciitis referrals
⁶ No birth control requests, no disability assessment, no HIV/Aids referrals, no infertility dysfunction referrals.
Impact
From the first conversation at the time of enrollment, Project Access staff educates patients about the expectations of being an enrolled member. We emphasize the importance of communication, punctuality, and the differences in healthcare terms and processes.
We reinforce that missing an appointment is unacceptable and encourage them to use their primary care resources for non-emergencies instead of going to the emergency room.
Through those expectations, we have been able to demonstrate a 19.2% reduction in emergency room usage by enrolled patients, and a 0.5% no-show rate for a population with an expected no-show rate of 45% or higher. These rates have sustained over a five-year period and have contributed to saving our community’ s health system millions of dollars.
"The women I see from Project Access need care. Every woman who has been referred to us has needed care. Much of the time, she needed care years before she got to see us... The women show up for their scheduled appointments, they are respectful, and they are thankful for the listening ear knowing someone is taking action to care for their gynecological problem(s)."
Bonnie, Hill, CNM, ARNP, NCMP | Gynecology