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Sacramento Physicians Initiative to Reach out, Innovate and Teach
For several years Mercy, a Dignity Health Member, has been a strong supporter of SPIRIT. As a partner, we make an annual contribution of $15,000 to support the operation of the office. In addition, Mercy and Dignity Health donate surgeries and provides in-kind support to assist in surgeries.
SPIRIT was founded in 1995 as an arm of the Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society to engage physicians in the delivery of medical care to county indigent patients through volunteerism. Healthy Community Forum partners are key funders of the program.
SPIRIT recruits physicians to volunteer in county and community clinics in an effort to enhance primary care medical services available to Sacramento's uninsured. The project also offers a specialty service network comprised of office referrals to participating SPIRIT physicians, "specialty sub" clinics located within existing county clinics and hernia and cataract repair surgeries done at no charge at local hospitals. Specialists provide medical care that uninsured patients have difficulty accessing through the county clinic system. SPIRIT medical services are completely free of charge to the patient.
Currently, SPIRIT volunteer physicians provide primary care services and these specialties to uninsured patients:
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Hypertension
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Neurology
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Orthopedics
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Plastic Surgery
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Retinopathy Screening
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Rheumatology |
In recent years:
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Mercy General Hospital, with the help of four valuable doctors donating 13 hours of their time and services (Robert Bellinoff, MD; Richard Jones, MD; Christian Swanson, MD; and John Young, MD), performed four surgeries valued at over $15,000
Along with working at Mercy General Hospital, Richard Jones, MD, volunteered his knowledge and services at his private practice. Dr. Jones has provided retinopathy screenings for 73 uninsured patients, valued at $20,440
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Under the direction of Dr. Amir Sweha, Mercy Residents at Methodist Hospital adopted Kit Carson Middle School. Physicians (including one faculty physician and three residents per four-hour presentation) have made several presentations. In 2011, residents spoke to sixth and seventh graders about drugs and alcohol, talked to students about the value of good nutrition and the importance of exercise. In addition, Mercy Residents educated students on injury prevention, safety and first aid. Sixth and seventh graders at Kit Carson also had the privilege of experiencing, first hand, a heart dissection with Dr. Sweha
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Mercy Health Med Clinic has contributed two of the four total hernia repairs
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SPIRIT has 34 active volunteers who, together, have donated 402 hours and serviced 659 uninsured Sacramento residents. Procedures and support valued at $94,090
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