It’s easy enough at an abstract level to grasp why United Way’s new focus on Health is so important:
In order to improve the overall well-being of Central Texans, United Way is targeting at-risk populations with limited resources who experience the greatest health disparities. Our efforts will fill those gaps in care where the most significant impact can be made.
But, this article really drives home why there is such a need to look for more effective solutions for how we deliver health services to at-risk populations:
Nine people accounted for nearly 2,700 of the emergency room visits in Central Texas during the past six years at a cost of $3 million to taxpayers and others, according to a report.
The patients – eight from Austin and one from Luling – went to emergency rooms 2,678 times between 2003 and 2008, said the report from the nonprofit Integrated Care Collaboration, a group of hospitals and other health care providers that treat low-income and uninsured patients in Central Texas.
Think of the impact we could make if we increased the number of effective, preventative health solutions in our community!
Read the rest of the article here.