Today's update from Health Care Access, one of our community's local free health-care clinics:
• There's a 12-week wait to see a physician.
• The handful of acute-care slots that are available by first-come or first-call, first-served were filled within minutes this morning.
• When Health Care Access opens its doors in the morning and throughout the day, there are people waiting on the off chance that they'll be able to get care.
• They see 15 people a day, a few more when a volunteer physician shows up.
Louis Shannon, left, of Lawrence, gets his temperature and other vitals taken by Jeri Safarik, a registered nurse, on Feb. 9, 2010, at Health Care Access clinic, which serves low-income, uninsured Douglas County residents. Jamie Kessler is seated to the right. by Kevin Anderson
That's just the daily way of life in a county where 17,000 people have no health insurance.
Kansas gets a big "U" in women's health
Health Care Report Card by jestevens
That's "U" for Unsatisfactory. Don't worry, Kansas, so did the entire United States. Only two states did better than "U", and that was an "S minus". In the National Women's Law Center's latest 2010 Health Care Report Card, Kansas earned a few "F's" for Failure, too. A few of the categories where Kansas failed:
• Women without health insurance, 15 percent. Up from 13.9 in 2007.
• Women who had a pap smear, 77.8 percent. Down from 86.2 percent in 2007.
• Women who are obese, 28.2 percent. Up from 24.2.
• Women who eat five fruits and vegetables/day, 22.6 percent. Down from 24 percent.
Kansas' grades by jestevens
A few of the categories where Kansas hit the "Satisfactory" mark:
• Completion of high school, 91.9. Up from 91.5.
• Colorectal cancer screening, 61.5. Up from 51.5 percent.
• Mammograms, 74.9 percent. Down from 76.1, but still in the satisfactory range.
The National Women's Law Center worked with Oregon Health & Science University to issue this report, the fifth in a series since 2000. The data and the goals come from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Healthy People project, which sets health goals for the country.
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