It has become a tell-tale sign of difficult economic times:
overuse of hospital emergency departments. When EDs are
stretched to the limit, it usually means the community has pockets
of uninsured or under-insured people who can't afford primary care
physicians. To respond to the growing need around Elkton,
Maryland, Union Hospital of Cecil County and the Health Department
teamed up with private medical providers to form Cecil Community
Health Center. The program has three goals: decreasing
the use of emergency departments; providing pediatric and adult
primary care for free or affordable fees; and linking patients with
primary care physicians for future care. The program operates
solely on a volunteer basis, and its supplies are donated by Union
Hospital and the Cecil County Health Department. The Center
is mindful that the inability to pay for healthcare should not
stand in the way of receiving healthcare.