Community Organizations Recognized for Service to the Uninsured

Nearly 45 million Americans, more than 15% of our population, were without health insurance in 2003. Southern Illinois University School of Medicine along with its affiliated hospitals, Memorial Medical Center and St. John's Hospital, have again joined a national grass-roots campaign and will offer local activities to raise awareness of the plight of the uninsured during Cover the Uninsured Week (CTUW), May 2-8.

As part of the week's activities, about 50 community organizations are being recognized for their service to people in the Springfield/Sangamon County community who are without insurance to cover their health care needs. The recognition luncheon is being held at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 3, in the Dove Conference Room at Prairie Heart Institute.

"In Illinois, 1.8 million residents do not have health insurance and one in three uninsured adults were unable to see a doctor when needed because of cost," said Dr. David Steward, professor and chair of internal medicine at SIU School of Medicine and chair of the local Cover the Uninsured Week committee.

Other local events include talks to community service organizations and a teaching Grand Rounds conference for medical audiences at noon on Friday in the medical school’s South Auditorium. The Sangamon County Medical Society is a co-sponsor of the educational conference.

The local effort is part of a national campaign sponsored by the Robert Wood Foundation. (www.CoverTheUninsuredWeek.org).

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NOTE TO MEDIA: Two profiles of local people without health insurance as well as some facts about the problem are available upon request.