Who is the Escambia County Medical Society Foundation?

The Escambia County Medical Society Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing healthcare services on a volunteer and funding basis through its members. The Foundation was created in 1994.

• primary goal is to assure access to adequate healthcare for the medically indigent citizens of the area
• to study and promote improved methods and facilities for healthcare
• to pursue the protection of public health
• implement the means of financing healthcare at reasonable costs
• to cooperate with other organizations and institutions interested in pursuing these goals
• disseminate information concerning healthcare in general
• current Foundation programs include "We Care"

 

Projects of the Foundation

To donate to either of these causes, mail your check to ECMS Foundation at the address below. If you would like to donate specifically to one or the other, please note that on your donation.

We Care Program: Founded in 1992 and now implemented by the Health Department, the We Care program assigns medically indigent patients to physician specialists who provide in-kind medical care as volunteers. Patients must be referred by a physician. Determination of a patient's financial qualification and screening is done by the We Care staff of the Escambia County Health Department, (850)595-6660. The Foundation regularly pays for the prescriptions of these patients, who have no other means to secure funding for this part of their treatment.

WE CARE provided $4.9 million in coordinated indigent care in Escambia County in 2008! We CARE Doctor of the Year Dr. Charles Chapleau donated $33,164.00 in medical care for 2008.

WE CARE Patient Eligibility Criteria

• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Must have physician referral and copies of supportive documentation (labs, x-rays, etc. or recent progress notes) for a problem needing specialty care. To make a referral, a physician or member of their staff calls (850) 595-6660, then faxes the patient referral information to the WE CARE Program fax number (850) 595-6691 and/or sends originals to:

WE CARE Program
Program Manager
1295 West Fairfield Drive
Pensacola, Florida 32501

• Include the name, address, telephone number and date of birth for any patient being referred.
• Indicate the medical care being requested for the patient.
• Patient must bring a completed referral form, identification (such as a driver’s license) and have been a resident of Escambia County, Florida for six months prior to requesting services.
• Must have six month’s gross family income under 150% of the Federal Poverty Level.
• Can not have any other source of medical support--Medicaid, Medically Needy, Worker’s Compensation for any referred condition, Veteran’s benefits, Vocational Rehabilitation or private medical insurance coverage.
• The WE CARE Program is a last resort after all other medical sources have been exhausted.
• The patient must have a referral from the clinician including the request for direct evaluation and treatment by the specialty physician. If tests are deemed necessary, the referral must be obtained by the referring physician and the report or reports included with the referral. Free testing can be obtained as part of the volunteer program (tests that are not ordered prior to acceptance will be covered).
• Patients must have a scheduled interview. “Walk-ins” are not accepted. When the referral is received, the patient is contacted by telephone and the WE CARE staff will schedule a screening interview. If the patient meets the eligibility criteria, an appointment is arranged with the WE CARE coordinator for a personal interview.
• A patient must have a physician referral to receive services. Primary care referrals are only allowed by the physician for his/her own patient to continue care.
  
• Please do not give the patient the telephone number for WE CARE. The referral process depends on contact from the referring physician’s office.

 

From Inpatient Source the Patient Must Complete the above criteria and...

• Be referred to the WE CARE Program Manager at:
  • (850) 595-6660 or fax (850) 595-6691.
  • Monday through Friday between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm.
  • To confirmed eligibility within 48 hours, the patient must be able to understand the parameters of the WE CARE Program and sign consent for participation. (This is not 48 hours from admission, but 48 hours after the patient has regained the capacity for decision-making.)
  • In the event of an incapacitated or unconscious patient, a health surrogate with medical power of attorney or other legal authority may accept participation on behalf on the patient.
• The WE CARE Program Manager will come to the hospital within two working days for case review and once again the patient needs to provide verification of gross family income. The patient will be required to do a follow-up interview at the WE CARE Program office.

Additional WE CARE Information:

• All referrals must originate from a physician. Potential patients are asked to have their physicians complete the referral process. Patients needing a physician referral may access an initial evaluation through the physicians at Escambia Community Clinics (850) 436-4630, St. Joseph’s Medical Screening Clinic (850) 436-6461 or the Pensacola Area Bay Baptist Health and Health and Hope Clinic (850) 479-4456.
• Sovereign Immunity is available to providers who contract with the Department of Health for this purpose. This limits physician/provider liability if an adverse situation should occur. For further information please contact the WE CARE Program Manager at (850) 595-6660.
• Escambia County Medical Society Foundation has limited funds to support the WE CARE Program’s patients. In the past, funds have been used for medications, equipment and transportation to care settings. Contributions may be sent to:

ECMS Foundation
8880 University Parkway, Suite B
Pensacola, Florida 32514

• The Indigent Care Committee of the ECMS guides the WE CARE Program’s ongoing development. The Committee represents the physicians, hospitals, Escambia County Health Department, Escambia Community Clinics, pharmacists and others who have made this program the leading volunteer medical program of its kind in the State of Florida.
• WE CARE is not an emergency care program. However, we are willing to determine eligibility in cases where the referring physician feels that a specific patient’s medical needs require immediate consideration. The physician indicates this when sending the referral.

Contact the Foundation

Address:
8880 University Parkway, Suite B
Pensacola, FL 32514
Telephone: 850.478.0706