Study Makes 31 Recommendations to Improve Health Care Access in Columbus, Ohio

Providing access to health services for all individuals regardless of insurance status is the top recommendation of a new report that examines the primary care system in Columbus, Ohio, Business First of Columbus reports. The 80-page report, prepared by Sacramento, Calif.-based Mark Murray and Associates and funded by a $64,000 grant from the Access HealthColumbus Council, makes 31 recommendations to improve access to care in Columbus. The recommendations include improving operations at local clinics and health facilities; requesting that emergency rooms track the number of insured and uninsured patients seeking primary care services; and establishing a program to inform residents about and help enroll them in public and private health insurance plans. Phil Cass, CEO of the Columbus Medical Association Foundation, a lead agency in Access HealthColumbus, said the report "brings almost a business perspective to how we look at the problem [of access] and go about resolving it," adding, "The process will be data-driven, not just by supposition. The report takes to a whole new level our understanding of the dynamics of primary care in this community." Mark Murray, who presented the study on May 2 to the group, said, "One of the big differences with Columbus is that this community is willing to face the problem, recognize it as a tough challenge and take a comprehensive approach to solve it" (Bell, Business First of Columbus, 5/3).