20th Anniversary of Access to Care
Access to Care began in 1988 with a small group of dedicated physicians in a small area. Access to Care was a "demonstration project", funded by the Chicago Community Trust. It was designed to accomodate the unique needs of the people living in suburban Cook County who had poor public transportation resources for a widely dispersed population of uninsured individuals and families.
By the year 2000,with funding from the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Access to Care had linked over 50,000 low-income uninsured people with generous participating physicians throughout all of suburban Cook County. In 2005 the program expanded to cover low-income uninsured individuals living in northwest Chicago.
In 2008 Access to Care celebrated it 20th year of service to the people of suburban Cook County. The Campaign for Better Health Care named the program as the Provider of the Year for 2008. The history of Access to Care would not be possible without the generosity and spirit of giving which is exhibited by all the participating physicians. The English language does not have the proper words to express the depth of gratitude the program has for all of you. Thank you is the best we can do.
The program is pleased to have over 600 participating physicians and physician practices. The doctors in Access to Care have served over 95,000 low-income, uninsured individuals with primary health care services that they very likely would be unable to afford.
As a participating physician in Accesss to Care you are aware of the great need for primary health care among the uninsured population. Access to Care is a program designed to help those in need of health care services connect to a physician who is willing to help his/her community. Access to Care is NOT insurance.
The program looks forward to a continued relationship between community-minded doctors and those in need of health care services. If you know of other physicians who are seeking an easy way to "give back", please tell them about our program and they can contact us by calling 708-531-0680 or by visiting our website at accesstocare.org. Once there, the physician should click on the tab for physicians and send his/her information.
The Board and Staff of Access to Care thank all the physicians for their generosity in caring for the underserved and uninsured population in Cook County. Without your dedication to helping those in need, Access to Care would not exist.

Access to Care Physicians and the Media
Thank you to Access to Care participating physicians who have generously offered to speak with media representatives about Access to Care. Participating physicians have related their thoughts about Access to Care and its impact on patients' lives.
The program is also grateful to those physicians who have referred people to Access to Care. We are always looking for ways to inform the public of our services.
Having an Access to Care patient and physician speaking about the program helps the public to understand the problems uninsured people face.
If you or a member of your staff would be willing to speak with media representatives, please call Kate Barnickel at the Access to Care administrative office, 708-531-0680 x 26.
Media coverage not only informs people who may need the services of Access to Care, but can also help to secure new funding sources.
Without your help and dedication, Access to Care could not exist. The contributions of physicians to Access to Care has been conservatively estimated to be worth $2.5 million.

Specialty Referrals
Access to Care has received many calls from patients and physicians asking what is necessary for an Access to Care patient to see a specialist. The following procedure will help make the referral process as easy as possible for the patient.
A referral form must be completed for any Access to Care patient needing a specialist, or a special procedure that is not covered by Access to Care.
A copy of the referral form was included in your physician's manual when you became a participating physician. The physician's referral form is also available on our web page, www.accesstocare.org under the forms section.
The patient will be referred to Stroger Hospital or Oak Forest Hospital. The fees at these facilities are a sliding scale based upon family income.
As a participating physician, you must completely fill out the referral form and fax it to Beatriz Ortega at 708-531-0686. Be sure to include DETAILED INFORMATION. Your office will be contacted if additional information is needed. However, including all the medical details will save time for you and the patient.
Once Access to Care receives the referral request, it will be sent electronically to Stroger or Oak Forest Hospitals. Normally within two to six weeks Access to Care is informed of the appointment date.
Once the date and time is set, both you and your patient will be notified. The patient will be given the location along with any instructions necessary for the particular specialty appointment.
Upon completion of the visit or procedure, a report will be sent directly to your office from Stroger or Oak Forest Hospitals.
If you do not receive the completed report within 30 days, or if you have any questions about the referral process, contact Beatriz Ortega, ATC Case Manager at 708-531-0680, ext. 28.
This service is provided as a courtesy to Access to Care patients. It is the responsibility of the patient to follow the instructions given to them and to get to the appointment on time.