A Cure for B.R.'s ERs

Nov 29, 2007

For an uninsured Baton Rouge resident, the wait for an appointment with a primary care physician at Earl K. Long Medical Center ranges between four months and one year.

Instead, many simply walk into an emergency room at one of the city's other hospitals, which, by law, may not turn them away.

The average wait at private ERs like Our Lady of the Lake and Baton Rouge General is 3.3 hours, which, by comparison, is nothing, even for a routine need such as refilling a prescription.

But for the medical bill-paying public—many of whom visit the ER with more serious injuries and illnesses—that kind of wait can be infuriating. Just ask any parent who's had to wait for much longer than that with a crying child with a fever or an injury.

Now, a group of medical professionals is doing something to relieve overcrowding in Baton Rouge emergency rooms.

The Volunteer Health Corps of Baton Rouge is an emerging nonprofit that takes patients from overcrowded ERs and treats them for urgent, non-emergency care at an all-volunteer health clinic.

Dr. Mike Rolfsen, who practices internal medicine at Baton Rouge Clinic, saw the crush of uninsured patients after Hurricane Katrina further overwhelm Baton Rouge emergency rooms. So he decided do tackle the problem.

"I guess I've been credited with starting this whole thing," he says. "But in all honesty it's really been a group effort. People have heard about what we're doing and reached out trying to find out how they can get involved. They've told their friends, and it's really snowballed."

When the idea got rolling Rolfsen quickly realized he'd need help, so he called Kathy West, a sales rep for Blacktie Louisiana, an online business that helps nonprofits. The two go way back, serving on various community boards. With 30-plus years of fundraising experience, West was an obvious choice to help jumpstart this project.

If you are a medical professional interested in donating your services to the Volunteer Health Corps, contact Broome at 266-5656, or e-mail michelebroome@gmail.com.

"This little liberal arts major is definitely getting an education," she jokes.

Rolfsen's original vision was for a completely independent clinic, free of hospital red tape. But such freedom comes with a hefty price tag. With insurance rates skyrocketing after the storm, he found independence may not be possible.

"Everyone was so eager to get involved, but after charges were brought against Dr. Anna Pou in New Orleans, there were a lot of doctors worried," Rolfsen says. "Without insurance coverage we couldn't guarantee that our doctors and nurses would be safe from petty lawsuits either."

Rolfsen began searching for partnerships. He targeted LSU's health system, and has been working closely with EKL to qualify for state insurance. It took about 18 months and an amendment to the bylaws, but the clinic is now completely covered.

"Everyone at LSU has been amazing," he says. "The clinic has become an extension of the LSU health system and now the bylaws allow for gratis employees to be covered and credentialed as state employees. We have complete protection from the state and that has helped ease the fear of being sued."

The volunteer staff of doctors, nurses and social workers at the clinic serves as a sort of bridge, temporarily treating patients until they can get an appointment to see a primary care physician.

"Uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes are the most common conditions we're seeing," says Michele Broome, executive director of the Volunteer Health Corps. "Some patients are also heading to the emergency room when the refills on their medications run out. They can't wait to see a doctor. They need their medicine. By taking these kinds of patients out of the equation we're freeing up emergency rooms to tackle pure emergencies."

Michele Broome, executive director of the Volunteer Health Corps, says some people go to the emergency room to get refills on their meds--another reason to free up ERs around the city.

So far, all the clinic's patients have come from EKL referrals, but that soon may change.

Our Lady of the Lake, Baton Rouge Regional Medical Center, Ochsner, Baton Rouge Clinic and Lake After Hours all have representation on the organization's board of directors.

Volunteer Health Corps recently finished a successful 12-week pilot program and passed rigorous standards placed on them by member hospitals. The group now is working to recruit additional doctors, nurses and social workers to donate their time, so that the program can continue and expand.

The clinic is open Tuesday evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and sees two dozen patients a week. "We now must press forward, recruit more doctors and open more nights," West says.

By Sarah Young. www.225batonrouge.com/news/2007/nov/29/cure-brs-ers/r