But they prefer the ER

I personally find this story sad, but not surprising. Jeffco pulls plug on health plan for poor : Preference for ERs doomed project

A three-year test project trying to get uninsured patients out of emergency rooms and into primary, preventive health care has ended a year early because of lack of interest from the people it was supposed to help.

The Coordinated Health System of Jefferson County ended its project called HealthPlus this month and withdrew their last year of funding totaling $150,000 from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The group a public-private coalition of doctors, hospitals, Jefferson County government and the county Health Department plans to stay together to continue to try to improve health care for the county’s uninsured poor.

But few uninsured emergency room patients showed interest in the project that offered follow-up care at public health clinics.
The idea was that many patients could stay out of crowded, expensive emergency departments if they got adequate preventive care. Those who needed treatment from specialists would get referrals from the clinics to private doctors who volunteered with the program, and hospitals would provide free care for hospitalized patients.

I live in Jefferson County, Alabama and am familar with the project and its failure. While I am not surprised by these results, I am saddened.

What does say about the culture of our underprivileged citizens? Why would someone prefer an emergency room? (I try very hard to avoid them)

I must commend the coalition for returning the grant moneys. How can we provide the appropriate medical care to these patients? This story is very depressing.