Project Access looking for a new home
After three moves in two years, nonprofit raising funds for permanent location
Insulin isn’t cheap. The price tag for a month’s supply can run as high as $1,200 a month. Conventional insurance might cover $500 a month.
In a medical emergency, a Lifeline helicopter ride might be necessary to save a life. The recipient of that service is looking at a $110,000 bill. Insurance doesn’t typically pay 100 percent of that cost.
A maintenance medical condition or accident can destroy a family’s finances. That’s where Project Access steps in to help. The local nonprofit helps the uninsured and under-insured to access healthcare affordably. In 2019, it connected residents with more than $2.9 million in donated care. But there is just one problem. Project Access needs a new home.
For the third time in two years, the nonprofit has been forced to relocate, this time to the Family Service Association (FSA) on South Main Street. According to executive director Kathy Stover, a permanent location is an urgent need.
“We have a place picked out,” said Stover. “It meets all of our needs. It is close to a bus stop. It is handicapped-accessible, and it is visible. It’s all about location, which has always been our big problem. We’ve always been inside someplace else.
“We were inside the hospital, inside Inventrek, and now inside Family Service Association. We don’t have our own home, so that is what we are striving for. We don’t want people to have to guess where we are.”
The nonprofit was fortunate to have FSA provide some space, but its footprint went from more than 1,600 square feet at Inventrek to just 600 square feet at FSA. Stover said they are making it work, but there simply isn’t enough space to serve the more than 2,500 clients they serve each year.
“Yesterday, I took 10 calls for service in an hour,” said Stover. “There is a lot of demand. If we can get a new home, we can better serve the community.”
The proposed location has more than 6,000 square feet of space, and the owner of the building is working with Project Access to make the transaction affordable, offering the location for just $200,000.
“You can’t even get a new house for $200,000,” said Stover. “The owner was nice enough to drop the price for us, so we aren’t going to find a better offer. This will allow us to expand our programs.”
Stover has started on the speaking circuit to raise funds. She has been in front of the UAW and the North Central Building Trades, and she plans on talking with many other organizations. But time is limited.
“We have 90 days to get this done,” said Stover. “I thought to myself, ‘Man, that’s quick.’ But I’ve raised a lot of money before. COVID has changed a lot of things when it comes to fundraising, but I believe we can do it.”
To donate to the Project Access building fund, donors can do so online by visiting www.projectaccesshoco.org. For those wanting to make donations in person or by other offline methods, they can connect toe Project Access by calling 765-854-0544.
When donating online or writing a check, specify the donation is for the Project Access Building Fund. All donations are tax-deductible. Stover said the nonprofit is working on providing recognition for donors on the building for larger donors and on paver bricks for those who donate a smaller amount.
About Project Access
Project Access helps the uninsured and under-insured access healthcare services. It provides support and education as well, all at an affordable cost. It does so by partnering with local physicians, dentists, specialists, and pharmacies which donate services to Project Access clients.
It also provides access to audiology and optometry services and maintains a supply of medical equipment that is donated to the nonprofit by the community. And for those who have health insurance but have trouble understanding their policy, Project Access has a licensed insurance navigator on staff to assist. They event will assist residents in obtaining insurance through the national marketplace.
There is a co-pay for services, which is determined by income. The rate adjusts for residents who make as much as 400 percent of the federal poverty level.
“It really doesn’t matter what you make; you probably qualify,” said Stover. “You would have to make over $153,000 a year not to qualify.”
Those seeking assistance from Project Access will need some documentation. A valid photo ID, a Social Security card, a birth certificate, proof of a Howard County address, proof of household income for the previous 30 days, a 1040 form from the most recent tax year, and a medication list all need to be produced in order to receive services.
Project Access began in 1999 as the Howard County Medical Society when three physicians – Stuart Devaul, Michael Wild, and Martha Hoshaw, saw the need in the community for affordable healthcare for the uninsured. These physicians partnered with other healthcare providers in the community and required no more than a $25 co-pay for those in need.
In 2013, the name of the organization changed to Project Access, and the nonprofit expanded its services to include vision care, hearing aids, dentures, and medical equipment and supplies. Healthcare programs for children were added in 2021.