Partnering to deliver a continuum of care for the uninsured
Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center and CommuniCare+OLE work together to help uninsured and underinsured Napa County residents receive health care.
Everyone needs health care, but all too often, lack of insurance prevents people from seeking care. For many, even routine doctor visits for preventative health care are too expensive and medical testing and specialty procedures are out of reach.
Nationwide, about 8 percent of citizens are without health insurance, but in Napa County, that number is twice as high with 16.6 percent of residents lacking coverage. Queen of the Valley’s alliance with CommuniCare+OLE (formerly OLE Health), their only community health center partner in Napa, ensures health care for the underinsured and uninsured.
Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center believes health is a human right, and seeks like-hearted partners, like CommuniCare+OLE, to ensure that all Napa County residents get quality health care, regardless of their income.
Creating a continuum of care
Family care providers at CommuniCare+OLE provide primary care and refer patients to Queen of the Valley for additional diagnoses, testing, treatment or specialty services. This partnership ensures that everyone in Napa County receives the compassionate, quality care they need, regardless of the ailment or the patient’s ability to pay.
“It’s essential for Queen of the Valley to maintain a strong, collaborative relationship with health care partners like CommuniCare+OLE,” said Dr. Amy Herold, Queen of the Valley’s chief administration officer and chief medical officer. “Our organizations share patients, but serve very different roles. By working together, we ensure that the underserved receive the finest health care available.”
CommuniCare+OLE provides fully bilingual health care on a sliding scale to those who can’t afford it, including preventative services, primary care, pediatrics and prenatal care, pharmacy services, nutrition and health education, behavioral health and dental services. They have five locations in Napa County and treat one in four county residents, including Medicare, Medi-Cal and uninsured patients.
“We promote wellness and provide preventative care and chronic disease management, but when patients need inpatient or specialty level care, they are referred to Queen of the Valley,” said Alicia Hardy, CEO of CommuniCare+OLE. “That’s when close communications are essential to manage care. CommuniCare+OLE has thousands of shared patients with Queen of the Valley.”
Ensuring access to care
Providing the space to access to health care is an ongoing challenge. In 2018, CommuniCare+OLE completed construction of their second 30,000-square-foot building within Napa city limits. While there was some initial questions about demand for the site, the clinic immediately operated at capacity and CommuniCare+OLE now serves 12,000 patients on-site at the new location.
Of course, there are still members of the community who are reticent to seek care. Some are working multiple jobs and can’t spare the time. For others, there are cultural barriers to seeking preventative health care. To reach these patients, CommuniCare+OLE operates a Mobile Health Unit that visits low-income areas and workers at local vineyards. CommuniCare+OLE also offers a monthly free food distribution for anyone in the community to combat food insecurity.
“We have a complimentary relationship. CommuniCare+OLE provides primary care to those who need it, which is especially important given the nationwide shortage of physicians. Whereas, Queen of the Valley provides specialized care and free surgeries to patients without insurance,” said Dr. Herold. “Partnerships like ours ensure we can deliver quality care to everyone in Napa Valley.”
Learn more about Queen of the Valley Medical Center at providence.org/queen
Learn more about CommuniCare+OLE at communicareole.org
About Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center
The largest health care facility and one of the largest employers in Napa County, Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center is a nonprofit 208-bed acute care facility located in the city of Napa. Queen of the Valley is dedicated to bringing Napa Valley residents the best care possible, close to home.
