GEORGIA VOLUNTEER

1

• GEORGIA VOLUNTEER
• HEALTH CARE PROGRAM

Pauline Lindstrom, Director Georgia Volunteer
Health Care Program Department of Community
Health 2 Peachtree Street, NW 37th
Floor Atlanta, Georgia 30303-3159
2
GEORGIA VOLUNTEERHEALTH CARE PROGRAM

• I. Governing Georgia Law
• II. Our Mission

3
Governing Code

• House Bill 166 Passed 2005
• Created the Volunteers In Medicine Act
• House Bill 1224 Passed 2006
• Provided changes to the Act
• Both bills resulted in Georgia Code 31-8-190
  et seq.

4
ACTS

• Georgia Volunteers in Health Care Specialties
• Act O.C.G.A. 43-1-28
• Georgia Volunteers in Dentistry and Dental
  
• Hygiene Act O.C.G.A. 43-11-52
• Georgia Volunteers in Medicine Health Care
• Act O.C.G.A. 43-34-45.1
• The above acts allow for Special Licenses for
  retired and out-of-state providers to volunteer
  in the free clinics.

5
O.C.G.A. 31-8-190 et seq.Georgia Volunteer
Health Care Program

• Enacted in 2005 to increase access to quality
  health care
• Concern for litigation
• Increase volunteerism
• Sovereign Immunity liability protection to
  providers when the following are met
• No fee for service
• Licensed provider is uncompensated
• Eligible patient referred by DCH

6
Eligible Patient Criteria

• A person who is Medicaid eligible under Georgia
  law or
• A person who is without health or dental coverage
  or
• A person whose income is at or below 200 of the
  Federal Poverty Level or
• A client of DCH or DHR who meets income criteria.
• A typical patient is one that uses the Emergency
  Room as a Primary Care Physician or waits until
  the illness/disease progresses, requiring
  expensive hospital care or they just die.
• Our volunteer clinics provide preventative care
  and finds illnesses/diseases in the early stages.

7
O.C.G.A. 31-8-190 et seq.

• State Officer or Employee
• Volunteers are contractually designated in order
  to have sovereign immunity.

• State assumes liability
• The state is responsible for litigation as long
  as the volunteer or health care provider acted
  within scope of services.

8
Professional Association Contracts

• Offered to all providers
• Protection to the association/corporation

9
Our Mission
To promote and increase access to quality health
and dental care for the underserved and uninsured
residents of Georgia through the commitment of
volunteers.
10
Goals

• Work with existing clinics who serve uninsured
  and low-income patients.
• Contract with Licensed Volunteer Health Care
  Professionals.
• Designate unlicensed volunteers as DCH volunteers
  who in turn will complete the departments
  paperwork.
• Encourage community and faith-based organizations
  to sponsor clinics.

11
STAFF RESPONSIBILITIES

• Director
• Promotion of the program, technical support,
  standardization, and supervision
• 6 Regional Coordinators
• Contract with health care professionals
• Assist with setting up volunteer clinics
• Train supervise volunteers doing eligibility
  and
  patient referrals
• Quality assurance reviews

12
Table of Organization
13
Regional Map
14
Priority and Loyalty

• Priority
• Volunteer Health Care Providers
• Loyalty
• State of Georgia Protect Taxpayers Money
• We can maintain our priorities and loyalty by
• Regular quality assurance checks
• Ensuring the departmental paperwork is completed
  correctly

15
Your Questions

Pauline Lindstrom, Director Georgia Volunteer
Health Care Program2 Peachtree Street, N.W.37th
FloorAtlanta, GA 30303Plindstrom_at_dch.ga.gov(404
) 463-7638