The Doctor in the Kitchen

[cali]

DR. DAVID ORES pays $700 a month for an apartment in a low-income housing complex on Avenue B on the Lower East Side, owns two Harleys and has on his left arm a tattoo of a naked woman wearing a pink cowboy hat.

Dr. Ores is also a physician who runs a nonprofit health care cooperative for city restaurant workers that he sees as a model for how national health care could work. The undertaking, which he began last summer, is particularly timely as President Obama contemplates an overhaul of the nation’s health insurance system.

“It’s like a food co-op,” Dr. Ores, 51, said of the project. “Except it’s health care.”

Under the plan, he charges each restaurant a dollar each month for every seat in the establishment and pools the money. In return, any employee from those restaurants can visit him free of charge, whether for a cut finger or the flu.

<snip>
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/nyregion/thecity/26doct.html?_r=3&partner=TOPIXNEWS&ei=5099

[BlooInBloo]

1. ... with Atrios' commentary to that snippet...

http://www.eschatonblog.com/2009/04/why-not-more-like-this.html

"I have been a bit puzzled why there haven't been more things like this.


Dr. Ores is also a physician who runs a nonprofit health care cooperative for city restaurant workers that he sees as a model for how national health care could work. The undertaking, which he began last summer, is particularly timely as President Obama contemplates an overhaul of the nation’s health insurance system.

“It’s like a food co-op,” Dr. Ores, 51, said of the project. “Except it’s health care.”

Under the plan, he charges each restaurant a dollar each month for every seat in the establishment and pools the money. In return, any employee from those restaurants can visit him free of charge, whether for a cut finger or the flu.



I don't mean precisely that model, necessarily, and this kind of thing isn't a substitute for comprehensive health insurance (or, of course, comprehensive national health care). But it's a bit weird that people have trouble just going to the doctor for the little stuff, and it seems like there should be opportunities for either for-profit or non-profits to fill that gap fairly affordably."

[LuvNewcastle]

2. There are a couple of churches

in my area who have set up clinics like this one. They aren't large wealthy churches either. Unfortunately, they can only afford to operate a few days/hours a week. But they do provide a much needed service. If a relatively small church can operate a clinic on a shoestring budget, I don't see why the government can't provide bigger and better services so that more can have access to basic care.

[underpants]

5. Richmond Va- 3 clinics

http://crossoverministry.org/

[blaze]

3. Dr Dave has a website

I read that article this morning. I love the idea of this. I hope he does well. http://www.davidjoresmd.org/index.php

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. Cool idea. Hope it catches on.

[Vinca]

6. It's great unless you actually get sick. There is a free clinic

where we live, but while they could diagnose my bum hip, they couldn't perform the hip replacement. (That's the jolly news I got this week, by the way. No insurance so I'm going to hobble a bit longer and hope we get healthcare in this country someday soon.)