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Johnson Health Center Volunteers, Employees to Receive High Honor

Posted on: Friday, 19 May 2006, 21:02 CDT

By Cynthia T. Pegram, The News & Advance, Lynchburg, Va.

May 19--Last year, hundreds of people in the Lynchburg area who were in need but couldn't afford prescription drugs were able to get them with the help of a team at the Johnson Health Center.

The small group of employees and volunteers obtained more than $1.5 million in prescriptions from national drug company programs for people who meet very low-income criteria.

This week, the Virginia Primary Care Association tapped the group of seven volunteers and three employees for the 2006 Team of the Year Award.

Rick Shinn, director of public affairs for the association, said that having a team of volunteers and employees "speaks volumes" about the outreach efforts and the mission of the Johnson Health Center's program.

The Virginia Primary Care Association has 23 organizations operating 73 health center sites, said Shinn.

No other center has been able to match the results of the Johnson Health Center's teamwork.

"It is innovative on their part," said Shinn. "It's been extremely successful."

The 2006 team includes Robin Turner; Maria Brown, LPN; Teresa Lloyd; John McClenon; Winnie Schamerhorn; Ben Schowe; Bob Nunley; Norman and Marianne Scholes and Linda Purdy.

The Johnson Health Center on Federal Street is a federally qualified health center. It operates under federal grants and accepts those who can pay, and those who can't, regardless of where they live.

The prescription drug program at the Johnson Health Center was first developed by Interfaith Outreach Association, and became part of the center several years ago, said Dr. Peter Houck, medical director.

The program "is very time intensive," said Houck. "You have to fill out forms, do financial screens, and each drug company has a different form." The volunteers also use the discount programs that some pharmaceutical companies have.

The result is that the Johnson Health Center patients who can't afford medications can now get them. Last year, said Robin Turner, who coordinates the program, they had more than 5,700 requests. Right now they have about 900 patients enrolled -- most between the ages of 20 and 65, when Medicare D coverage now starts.

The $1.5 million is the retail value of the drugs, she said.

Through the pharmacy program, said Houck, the Johnson Health Center patients can get the same drugs as those who have the means to buy medicine.

"This was a huge accomplishment, thanks to Robin and all the volunteers here," said Houck.

The volunteers include two engineers, a retired pharmacist, and retired bookkeeper.

Because the time between a patient's application for medications and the delivery time can be several months, the prescription program also has an emergency fund (from donations) that allows the drugs to be purchased from a specific pharmacy until the free supply arrives.

The pharmacy access system is tough to deal with.

Volunteer Bob Nunley, a retired engineer, said that some of the patients are on medications that are very difficult to obtain. Some of the pharmaceutical companies have different requirements for obtaining some drugs that don't apply to others.

"And the rules are different for almost every pharmaceutical company," said Nunley. "Pharmaceutical aid is 10 times as complex as income tax."

Nunley said that Robin Turner, the coordinator, is pretty much unflappable and seems to be able to keep tabs on the patients. "She knows them when they come through the door, and somehow keeps up with all the issues associated with that particular patient."

When news of the team award came to Turner and Houck, they came up with a plan to get the team to Roanoke to receive the award -- not the kind of kind of group usually found at luncheons in the middle of a workday. Houck told them a mandatory training was being held, and anyone working in the program needed to come.

Eight of the 10 made it that day, apparently unsuspecting. "They were shocked," said a delighted Robin Turner.

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Source: The News & Advance

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