Bedside manner: Project Access doctors like William Hathaway — chief of staff at Mission Health — provide everything from routine annual physicals to open-heart surgery for uninsured Buncombe County residents. photo courtesy of Project Access
Lack of health insurance changes the very meaning of wellness.
To address this growing problem, the Buncombe County Medical Society created Project Access in 1996. The award-winning, volunteer network offers free medical care to low-income, uninsured Buncombe County residents who don’t qualify for programs such as Medicaid. Participating physicians provide everything from routine annual physicals to open-heart surgery.
Diet by the numbers
26.8 Percent of Buncombe County adults eat less than one vegetable a day (not counting potatoes)
21 Percent of Buncombe adults who are obese
28 Percent of adults eearning more than $50,000 a year are obese
58 Percent have access to healthy foods
98.85 Percent of local restaurants have passed their health inspections
— all statistics from the Buncombe County 2010 Community Health Assessment
Meatloaf recipe from Imladris Farm's Walter Harrill
1 lb Hickory Nut Gap Farm ground beef
1 large Ivy Creek Family Farm onion, chopped
1 large Imladris Farm free-range egg
1/4 cup oatmeal
2 splashes Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
Mix together, fill loaf pan, bake 45 minutes at 400 degrees.
Chili recipe from The Chop Shop’s Karen Fowler
1 tsp olive oil
2 lbs ground bison
1 white onion
3 garlic cloves
1 bell pepper
1/2 lb fresh pineapple
1-1/2 cups black beans, cooked
16 oz crushed tomato
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne
1 cup stock of choice
Saute bison, herbs, onion, garlic and bell pepper in olive oil until brown. Add stock, tomatoes and pineapple, simmer six hours, adding the beans in the last hour.
Chili recipe from Laughing Seed’s Sandy Krebs
Sauté in 1 Tbsp. olive oil but don’t brown:
2 medium onions,
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Add:
1 to 3 Tbsp. dried chipotle, finely chopped
1 1⁄2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 1⁄2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
Sauté spices with peppers and onions for a few minutes to bring out their flavor.
(Optional) Add: 1 pound vegetarian burger crumbles
Then add: 2 to 3 pounds chopped tomatoes (or high-quality canned tomatoes)
Cook down and simmer at least 45 minutes.
Then add:
1 1⁄2 cups cooked kidney beans
1 1⁄2 cups cooked black beans
Salt to taste after all ingredients are cooked down.
Simmer another 10 minutes.
Chili, like spaghetti sauce and stew taste better the next day, so make a double batch!
JUMPING FOR JOY SIDEBAR
Paws on a Mission is part of Mission Hospital’s Integrative Healthcare Department, providing therapeutic dog experiences to schools, hospitals, at-risk youth and correctional facilities in Western North Carolina. To participate as a pet/partner team, you and your dog must become registered through either Therapy Dogs Inc. or the Delta Society. For more information, contact Jade Frank (213-0131; email: jade.frank@msj.org).
Program highlights:
• When Project Access began, an estimated 15,000 Buncombe County residents were low-income and uninsured.
• By 2005, this number had swelled to an estimated 38,000.
• In 2011, that number stood at about 42,000.
• Patients served last year: 5,660.
• Estimated dollar value of that care: more than $14 million.
• Number of participating physicians: about 650.
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The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.