Alliance Medical Ministry

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See how Alliance Medical Ministry is making a difference.

Video provided by Fruition Film.

Alliance Medical Ministry (AMM) is a faith-led non-profit organization whose mission is to serve working uninsured adults of Wake County in need of affordable health care. AMM opened in January 2003, offering a primary care home to patients by operating on a private practice model. The clinic is open from 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM daily, from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM on select Saturdays, and provides 24-hour coordination of a patient's medical needs.

Comprehensive, on-site services include chronic and acute medical care, health education, laboratory testing, on-site pharmacy and referrals for specialty care. All services are completely bilingual. 98% of AMM patients have an income below 200% of federal poverty guidelines and pay $15 per primary care visit or $25 per acute care visit, with the remaining paying on a sliding scale. Though the patient fees offset the cost of care, charging patients also encourages them to be engaged in improving their health.

In 2009, Alliance had over 7,000 patients and conducted 10,179 patient visits. In the first half of 2010, Alliance averaged 1,100 patient visits per month with patient volume up 20% over the prior year.

The following are select highlights of Alliance Medical Ministry programs:

The Need

More than 150,000 adult residents of Wake County, lack access to affordable acute and primary medical care. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 79% of the uninsured in North Carolina reside in a working household. Without insurance these hard-working citizens are less likely to receive preventive care, and are more likely to be hospitalized for conditions that could have been prevented. Most uninsured families struggle financially to meet basic needs, and medical bills, even for minor problems, can quickly lead to medical debt.

Alliance Medical Ministry

In response, Alliance Medical Ministry was founded nearly a decade ago to address health care needs of the working uninsured. Clinical operations began on January 6, 2003, at the original location on New Bern Avenue, adjacent to WakeMed Raleigh Hospital. Alliance relocated to a fully renovated 18,000 square foot facility in February of 2008 and currently provides a primary care medical home to more than 8,000 low-income adults, with 98% having an annual household income of less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Comprehensive medical care provided at Alliance includes acute and chronic medical care, pharmacy services, health education, disease management, and pastoral counseling. Patients are referred to Alliance from local area hospital emergency departments, from the Health Department and other local social service organizations. Many are patients who would otherwise go to local emergency rooms for treatment of non-emergency health care needs, costing approximately $1,596 per visit.

For a small patient fee (typically $15 per visit with a physician) patients receive time with board certified physicians on staff at Alliance, all necessary lab work, free or low-cost medications, regular eye examinations for diabetic patients, educational sessions with a pharmacist, bilingual services, and 24-hour coordination of care. The remaining cost of care for each patient encounter is provided at no cost and funded by donations from individuals, congregations, synagogues, corporations and the three Raleigh area hospital systems (WakeMed Health & Hospitals, Duke University Medical System, and UNC Rex Healthcare).

The Impact

Since the clinic opened, Alliance has increased patient visits, staffing levels and funding each year to meet the growing demand for medical care for uninsured adults in Wake County. In 2010, Alliance conducted 12,388 patient visits (22% increase over 2009) and dispensed over $1,500,000 (171% increase over 2009) in prescription medications at no-cost to patients. Key programs outside of our primary care include:

Acute Care

Alliance opened an Acute Care Clinic (ACC) to provide convenient same-day, walk-in access for both new and existing patients. This model is ideal for individuals seeking treatment for a minor illness, such as cold, flu or strep or for existing patients who need prescription adjustment or have a spontaneous health issue related to their chronic disease. By utilizing mid-level providers in the ACC, the costs are reduced and patients receive convenient, affordable and high-quality care. Alliance is averaging 260 patients in the ACC monthly, a 56% increase over last year, with nearly half of the patients being new to the practice.

Pharmacy

Alliance oversees the Patient Assistance Program (PAP) on behalf of its patient population in order to provide medications from drug companies to our patients at no cost or co-pay. We also provide a formulary of medications to our patients through our partnership as a satellite pharmacy of Person Street Pharmacy. These affordable and free medications greatly increase patient success with chronic disease management by alleviating barriers such as transportation, cost and non-compliance. The pharmacy also provides much needed education and management for chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, and asthma. Alliance also manages 40 Coumadin patients within the anticoagulation clinic.

Pastoral Care and Counseling

Alliance Medical Ministry provides free pastoral support and counseling for all patients, families and staff. Alliance accepts all persons as someone of worth and value by being a resource, regardless of religious preference. Our chaplains are clinically trained to work with the Alliance community and are available Monday through Friday to minister to those in need by listening, acknowledging feelings, offering prayer, meditation and even silence in a private setting. Counseling focus areas include: addiction, anxiety/stress, depression, faith questions, fear, grief, life transitions, relationship problems, sexuality issues, suicidal thoughts, trauma and more. Pastoral Care also trains volunteers to serve as Care Partners in order to provide another level of support to patients going through disease management programs.

Diabetes Self-Management

To improve long-term outcomes for patients with chronic disease, Alliance launched a disease management series in the summer of 2010 to address both the educational and behavioral changes necessary to promote lasting change. The two-part program combines an approved Diabetes Management curriculum taught by licensed educators and nurses from Duke Raleigh Hospital, with an ongoing support, accountability and education program provided by Alliance staff and volunteers. Now Alliance is exploring the use of group patient encounters.

Saturday Clinic

AMM offers urgent care, orthopedic and primary care services to existing patients in need of Saturday appointments. The goal is accessibility, knowing that our patient population cannot always leave work to seek medical care. The clinic schedule is based on the availability of volunteer physicians and staff.

Community Garden

The community garden project, in partnership with Interfaith Food Shuttle, benefits both Alliance patients and community partners who support the garden, including the Boys and Girls Club, local congregations and area families. By providing fresh vegetables and fruit, combined with nutrition and cooking classes in the Alliance kitchen, the community garden programs help Alliance patients and others in the community to lead healthier lives. Located on two acres adjacent to the AMM clinic at the intersection of New Bern Avenue and Donald Ross Drive, the garden is a productive use of the land and a highly visible reminder that healthy living begins with healthy eating.