Santa Clarita, Calif., March 26, 2008 – Spearheaded by Gene Dorio, MD, internal medicine, a board member of Samuel Dixon Family Health Centers, Inc. (SDFHC), the Second Opinion Specialist (SOS) program is a volunteer program utilizing physician specialists who will provide consultations for low-income, uninsured patients. Dr. Dorio called upon many of his colleagues to volunteer in the program. Twenty-three area physicians have agreed to participate in this program, which to date covers the following specialty areas: infectious disease, neurosurgery, gastroenterology, urology, nephrology, cardiology, hematology and orthopedics. Michael Gales, PA-C, a health care provider at SDFHC, had noted the need for specialist treatment for difficult-to-treat patients. Through the program, patients in need of specialist services will now have an additional, affordable option for treatment. Areas of continued need include dermatology, pediatrics, gynecology, ophthalmology, podiatry, otolaryngology, endocrinology, pain management and allergy specialists. Through the program, specialists agree to provide consultation and/or treatment for three patients a year. SDFHC staff will coordinate with a designated individual from the physician’s office for scheduling and providing all supporting documents. SDFHC thanks the following physician specialists for volunteering their time and services for this program: Vinod Assomull; Sit Bencharit; Philip Chatham; Wendy Clough; Anant Desai; Surisham Dhillon; Jerry Garrett; Nilesh Hingard; Sherwin Hua; Thomas Joseph; Allen Karz; Floyd Katske; John Kaufman; Raj Kaushal; James Kayvanfar; David Krieger; Mark Liker; James MacAbee; M. Merati; Michael Quon; Mark Sender; Ranbir Singh; and Frank Yusuf. SDFHC operates three health centers in the Santa Clarita Valley—Canyon Country Health Center, Val Verde Health Center and Newhall Health Center—as well as outreach sites at College of the Canyons and California Institute of the Arts. SDFHC offers a full range of health care services—physicals, immunizations and vaccines, screenings and diagnostic tests, well baby care, and family planning—to those who may not seek health care elsewhere. Patients pay based on their income. This past year, SDFHC provided service for 8,000 patient visits. SDFHC was established in 1980 and named for long-time Val Verde resident and minister, the late Reverend Samuel Dixon. A not-for-profit community health center, SDFHC serves the greater Santa Clarita Valley, and is governed by a twenty-member board of directors, all of whom are Santa Clarita residents. The mission of SDFHC is to enhance wellness by providing quality primary health care services and health education to unserved and underserved residents, with a special emphasis on serving the uninsured. Easily accessible services are available for the entire family in both English and Spanish. Medi-Cal, Blue Cross and Healthy Families are all accepted, and a sliding fee scale is offered, keeping health care affordable for all. Services are available at the Val Verde Health Center (661-257-4008), the Canyon Country Health Center (661-424-1220) and the Newhall Health Center (661-291-1777). |
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