Maria's Story

This is the story of Maria Gomez. She was in a terrible state two years ago. After being injured at work, she lost her job and then her COBRA health insurance extension ran out. Maria was unable to find private health insurance on the open market because she has diabetes, a pre-existing chronic condition.

Dear Friend,

There's a high probablity that Maria's story will match yours at some point in your life. It's a true account of someone in Santa Cruz and a common tale: after the age of 40, many women find themselves with limited medical coverage or uninsured and yet are at an age with complex health conditions develop.

The Women's Health Center was created so taht women and their children would find a medical home at any stage in their life. We're the local clinic already ensuring your medical care while the nation debates universal health coverage!

We've seen a steady growth in the number of patients with chronic conditions coming to our clinic -- an increase of 36% in the last two years. As private health insurance gets more costly, we're sure the number will get bigger.

Somehow, Maria set aside enough money to pay for her ongoing medicinel needs, but couldn't afford to see a doctor even once a year, much less as often as required to control diabetes. Then Maria discovered a lump in her right breast. She worried about the breast lump for months, until she found out about the S.C. Women's Health Center. Maria made an appointment...

Fortunately, our clinic can successfully treat chronic conditions. The trick in preventing pain and suffering is to treat the disease early and with a focus on your complete lifestyle. We focus on the whole person: at each exam, the medical staff provides you with information on diet, exercise, how to create a healthy environment, and information on useful community resources.

But quality medical service for individuals with limited resources is a growing need. Our last fiscal year saw an 11% increase in visits. And we could easily surpass that amount this year.

Maria was ecstatic after her first visit to our clinic. We were able to offer most of her medicines for free through several patient assistance program, arrange for a free mammogram through a state cancer detection program, and provide her with regular medical visits at well under fifty percent of the cost.

While we have a staff that can work miracles in providing low cost quality health care, and as much as we love being the 'medical home' for those with few health choices, the simple fact is that...on our own...we're overwhelmed!

Last year, our clinic provided over half a million dollars of services not covered by insurance or patients. Unless the healthcare field changes dramatically, that cost will keep rising as we see more women and children.

With your help, we'll meet the need!

Your financial gift today guarantees that we continue to provide quality medical care for those in our community -- today and into the future!

Your donation will

• Help a young child get all his vaccinations.

• Give a recent college graduate the chance to find primary medical care while she looks for work.

• Allow a diabetic to afford her on-going medication requrements and still pay this month's rent.

We'll be there in case you or someone you love end up in Maria's shoes! Thank you for helping us create a healthy community today!

Sincerely,

Patrick Meehan, M.D.
Executive Director

P.S. Our clinic is located behind the downtown public llibrary and our medical staff speak Spanish! For an appointment, call 427-3500.

Hours:

Monday 8:30 to 5:00
Tuesday 8:30 to 8:00
Wednesday 12:30 to 5:00
Thursday 8:30 to 8:00
Friday 8:30 to 5:00
Saturday 8:30 to 12:00

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