- Ascension All Saints Hospital, Racine

Ascension All Saints Hospital, Racine, 2024 Community Benefits

Charity Care/Free Clinics
Health Equity

Chronic Respiratory Disease Management Program Continues to Serve the Underserved

For nearly 20 years, Ascension All Saints Hospital’s Chronic Respiratory Disease Management Program has assisted uninsured and underinsured members of the community with the care they need to manage a variety of respiratory diseases at no cost.

The program focuses on patients with asthma, COPD, emphysema, long COVID, restrictive lung disease and other chronic respiratory conditions. Respiratory therapists provide education on respiratory disease, explain how to take medications and discuss follow up care for both patients and their caregivers. It provides specialized care to people who might otherwise not have access to or be able to afford it.

“We work with the patient and their primary care physician to determine the best form of treatment and we run diagnostic tests to determine our next steps,” Registered Respiratory Therapist, Diana Carroll, said. “Our program is uniquely tailored to each patient. While some patients may see their physician infrequently for short periods of time, the Chronic Respiratory Disease Management Program allows for longer, flexible appointment times, which can last two hours, when needed, and frequent follow ups to ensure patient understanding and compliance.”

The clinic is open three days per week and is operated by three respiratory therapists who work closely with the outpatient pharmacist and pharmacy staff. These services are provided regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.

Patients are asked about topics such as loneliness, violence, food insecurity, housing, education and financial issues – all things that can influence a patient’s overall health and well-being. Program associates are able to connect those patients with free and reduced-cost services in their community when identified as needed.

In 2023, Ascension’s Chronic Respiratory Disease Management Program spent more than $92,000 on medication and served 136 patients.

Hospital Provides Free Medications to Hundreds of Patients in Need

**The retail pharmacy at Ascension All Saints Hospital provides eligible patients medications at no charge.**

Ascension All Saints Hospital is providing free medications to people who struggle to pay for their prescriptions. In the past year, nearly 600 patients received more than 2,300 prescriptions free of charge between the two hospital campuses. For patients without prescription insurance, financial barriers can make it challenging to get the medications they need to stay healthy and stay out of the hospital.

Ascension Wisconsin’s retail pharmacies participate in Dispensary of Hope’s patient assistance program that provides eligible patients medications at no charge. Dispensary of Hope (a subsidiary of Ascension) is a charitable medication distributor. It provides participating pharmacies and clinics with access to medications donated by pharmaceutical manufacturers. Uninsured patients with incomes below 300% of the federal poverty level are eligible for free medications through this program. Ascension pays the fees and labor costs to participate.

“We don’t want patients to have to choose between buying groceries and life-saving medications. Making critical medications accessible to those in need helps lengthen life, improves health outcomes, and reduces the need for additional care,” said Kris Cyr, PharmD, Director of Pharmacy, Community Pharmacies, Ascension Wisconsin. In FY 2024, Ascension Wisconsin pharmacies provided $730,000 in free medications and more than 5,100 prescriptions to those most in need.

Pharmacists build relationships with their patients, talk with them about their medications and answer questions they have. Many of these patients meet more often with their pharmacists than their doctors. With a deep passion for their community, especially for the most vulnerable patients they serve, Ascension pharmacists not only help with access to medication, but they also connect their patients with local agencies that provide additional resources. Providing consistent access to a reliable source of medication is an important part of Ascension Wisconsin’s efforts toward achieving health equity.