Faces of 340B

Lamar Williams, Montgomery, AL

Lamar Williams was experiencing the first in what would be a series of heart attacks when he arrived at the emergency room in February 2009.  “I told them I was having chest pains, I don’t have any insurance and I need to see someone,” he recalls. Baptist Medical Center doctors sprang into action and Lamar received a coronary artery stent and treatment for hypertension and Type 2 diabetes. The cost of the treatment was covered by the hospital as part of its charity care mission, much to Williams’ relief. After his third cardiac episode, Williams enrolled in Baptist Health’s CareAdvisor program in 2010. The program is funded by 340B savings and is designed to give uninsured outpatients a medical home base. This includes a primary care doctor at Baptist Family Medicine Residency Program, bus passes, medications, a nurse case manager and a social worker for each patient, all for free. Williams has worked closely with his CareAdvisor team to get his hypertension and diabetes under control. “He checks his blood pressure and blood sugars every day,” says Kirsti Hardwick, nurse case manager. “He tries to exercise on a regular basis and follows the directions of his primary care physician.” As a result, Lamar is now a healthier man. “It has helped me tremendously,” he says. “I am honored to be in the program – it helped save my life.”