Health Care Network, Inc. is a non-profit agency that provides free-low cost health care to residents of Racine County who are medically uninsured and have a limited income. Services are provided at the Health Care Network office and by a network of 360 volunteer health care professionals.
As one of American Women’s Hospitals Service’s supported programs in the US, Health Care Network has been leading the Racine County area of Wisconsin in innovative service since 1987. As one of their patients best summed up, “I know times get hard, working with all types of people. But please don’t stop what you are doing. You are raising hope in many cases.”
The idea of Health Care Network first began in 1982 when a taskforce on unemployment was formed in response to a 22% unemployment rate in Racine County, Wisconsin identifying access to health care for the uninsured as a high priority. Although a health care plan at that time was developed to create individual arrangements between provider and patient to address health care for the community, as the unemployment rate increased even further, the plan alone became inadequate. As a result, a community clinic was established in 1987.
Today, Health Care Network, Inc. continues to provide free-low cost health care to residents of Racine County who are medically uninsured and have a limited income. Services are provided at both the Health Care Network office and by a network of 360 volunteer health care professionals. In addition, HCN runs a variety of other programs, including vaccination voucher drives, mammogram education, and a Good Samaritan Program which assists individuals 1-2 times per year with pharmaceuticals, medical supplies or equipment. In 2012 alone, they provided 3331 medical appointments, 2284 dental appointments, 1634 diagnostic visits, and 1336 interactions for education.
Health Care Network, Inc. is now in its 25th year and the impact that they make on their community shows. 78% of their new patients reported a decrease in emergency room visits within 6 months of joining the program. 70% of patients that were treated on-site for high blood pressure or diabetes had readings that have improved or are now within normal limits. 76% of patients are now able to demonstrate acceptable prophylactic care highlighting their on-site dental clinic’s focus on education.
The majority of patients seen in the network are women with about 1/3 of all appointments being held on-site and 2/3 being held in the community. HCN is also part of the Greater Racine Mammogram Coalition which serves to educate women about the importance of mammograms and also to offer resources to obtain them. As one of the volunteer HCN physicians noted, “The patients are very grateful. They are satisfying patients appreciative of the effort because they know we are doing it as a service.”
Please join AWHS in helping to maintain our support for the progress of this wonderful program and others like it. You can donate online or donate by mail by sending a check (payable to AMWA – AWHS) to
12100 Sunset Hills Road Suite 130 Reston, Virginia 20190
To help by joining the AWHS committee or for more information please email us at associatedirector@amwa-doc.org
You can also visit our Facebook Page to learn more about other AWHS-supported programs.
