HealthAccess
Shawnee County Medical Society
PO Box 615 Topeka, KS 66601
(785)235-0996
16,637
Individual Patients
$244M+
Total Donated Care
618,565
Prescriptions Funded
$3.5M+
Cost of Prescriptions
ABOUT US
Shawnee County Medical Society HealthAccess is a community partnership to improve access to health care for low-income uninsured residents of Topeka and Shawnee County.
Health Access combines donated physician care, hospital services, and medication assistance in a coordinated program led by the Medical Society designed to complement and enhance the work of existing low-income clinics and other community agencies. HealthAccess focuses is on preventive care rather than emergency care and help individuals establish a medical home to provide better continuity of care.
PROGRAM GOALS
- Access to care for low-income and uninsured
- Promote Health Equity
- Coordinate volunteer efforts on behalf of entire medical community and safety net system
WE ARE PART OF A NATIONAL EFFORT
Efforts began in 1995 when Buncombe County Medical Society, located in a small, western North Carolina communit, formed an integrated network of local clinics, private primary and specialty physician volunteers, hospitals and pharmacies to provide universal, on-demand access to the full continuum of health care for the medically underserved citizens of their county. Buncombe County Medical Society named their program Project Access, and the model quickly spread across the United States.
LOCAL EFFORTS
The process started in 2001 with the Indigent Care Committee organized under the auspices of the Shawnee County Medical Society. This committee comprised of provider and citizen representatives spent many hours studying the plight of the uninsured patients in Shawnee County and possible solutions to the problem. The committee identified the extent of the problem, identified current resources addressing the problem of the uninsured and researched various programs developed by other communities. During this process, the committee identified the Project Access program located in Asheville, North Carolina. By working together, Shawnee County Medical Society HealthAccess was formed and efforts began in early 2002.
OUR STAFF
MEGAN SKAGGS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Megan Skaggs has served as Executive Director of HealthAccess since 2020. She has an extensive health care background, working with health care organizations through Kansas in various roles throughout her career. Megan and her husband, Willie, spend their free time at sporting fields supporting her three children play the sports they love.
LAURA AGUIRRE
BILINGUAL PROGRAM ASSISTANT
Laura Aguirre has been with HealthAccess for over 8 years. She has over 12 years of translating and interpreting experience in a variety of settings. Laura enjoys spending time with her children and volunteering at her church in her spare time.
KARLA BILLEN
ENROLLMENT SPECIALIST
Karla started with HealthAccess in 2021 after retiring from her career as a registered nurse. When at home, Karla dotes on her grandchildren, is involved with her church, and enjoys working part-time for HealthAcess so she is able to enjoy retirement with her husband.
