"When I was pregnant with Alejandra, I was referred to the Carl Access Referral Line (CARL) for prenatal care. I tried to call a hospital, but I couldn't get an appointment for 6-8 weeks. I did not want to wait that long to make sure everything was going alright with my baby."
--Maria, with daughters Adrianna, 13 months, and Alejandra, 4 years.

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Oklahoma City area healthcare providers and partners came together in 2001 to address the need for a more coordinated system of healthcare access for the uninsured and the underinsured. Resulting from this initiative was the successful birth of Central Oklahoma Project Access.

Project Access, recognizing the power of collaboration, works with partners representing various health care providers, federally qualified health centers, community health centers, hospitals, physicians and other health care resources, to provide integrated and coordinated healthcare services for Central Oklahoma residents who are without health insurance and are at or below 150% Federal Poverty Guidelines.

The rate of Oklahomans ages 18-64 without health coverage is significantly higher than the U.S. rate. The citizens most at risk for lack of health insurance coverage (Oklahoma 21% and U.S. 15%) include those with lower incomes and minority populations.

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Project Access established goals to bridge the gap in healthcare for uninsured residents in Central Oklahoma, through a comprehensive system of care coordination and electronic communication to:

• Increase access to comprehensive primary, prenatal and specialty healthcare services for the uninsured and underinsured.
• Manage the Care Access Referral Line (CARL) for general public to call first for prenatal appointments and referral to primary care home.
• Promote more appropriate use of healthcare services by uninsured and underinsured to relieve the burden on area emergency departments.
• Find primary care homes for the uninsured.
• Ensure culturally competent and linguistically appropriate care.
• Increase the service delivery capacity of the healthcare delivery network serving the uninsured and underinsured.
• Recruit providers to donate their time and services to the uninsured and working poor.
• Provide access to prescription assistance services, health promotion, education and preventive health services.