Organization Name: Community Health Association of Spokane (dba, CHAS Health)
Title of Project: LC Valley Prescription Voucher Program
Amount of Grant Awarded: $25,000
Organization Website: https://chas.org/
Impact of Grant: PSC Jodi explained: “When a person goes to the doctor, they expect only to have their medical needs met—but not at CHAS. When you walk through our front doors, you are greeted by a friend, and when you leave all your needs have been met. That includes health, housing, food resources, transportation, and financial help. Because of LCVHF’s generous support, we are able to do just that. We know that 2020 was a particularly hard year for our patients, but LCVHF’s generous grant award made it a little bit better for our patients.”

Jodi recalled one patient in particular: “This patient comes to my mind when I think of the differences our LCVHF grant made. He and his significant other entered my office with their heads hung low. When his girlfriend started talking, tears poured down her face. She said that her boyfriend was recently diagnosed with Leukemia, but they couldn’t afford the treatment or the bone marrow transplant. He currently had WAH, but it was abruptly discontinued because he began to receive a monthly Social Security payment, which is not a lot when you have a family to support, rent, food, and medical bills. I assisted him with purchasing a plan through the Health Plan Finder, but the medication was still not going to be covered. We used LCVHF funds to assist with the cost of his medication, and later I found a patient assistance program so he could continue to get the care he deserves and needs.”

The ability to provide transportation assistance for patients also was very valuable. PSC Jodi mentioned a patient with chronic back pain who needed to be seen by a neurosurgeon. With help from Jodi, the patient was able to get an appointment with a specialist in Spokane, but the patient could not secure transportation from her home in Clarkston. Because this appointment was scheduled quickly due to the patient’s condition, there was no time for Jodi to arrange transportation through the patient’s insurance, as that would have required advance notice of seven business day for an out-of-town request. Since the patient did not have seven days, Jodi tried to locate other transportation options. Once all other options were exhausted, Jodi called Moscow Taxi, with whom CHAS has a contract in place, and was able to schedule transport for the patient at a discounted rate. The patient could not afford the cost of this trip and rescheduling her appointment likely would have resulted in a much longer wait time. (For in-demand specialties like neurosurgery, it is not uncommon for patients to wait several weeks or even a month before they can be seen.) With support from LCVHF, this patient was able to get to her appointment in Spokane and get the medical attention she needed.