April 17, 2007

CONTACT:
Communications Department
(320) 251-2700, ext. 74980

Project H.E.A.L. works to cover all kids for Cover the Uninsured Week

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Project H.E.A.L. (Health, Education, Access, Link) is emphasizing getting health care coverage for all children during free health care screening clinics during National Cover the Uninsured Week from April 23-29.

Screening clinics with Spanish interpreters are planned for 1 p.m. Sunday, April 22, at St. Boniface Church in Cold Spring, St. Joseph’s Church in Waite Park and St. Mary’s Church in Melrose. On Wednesday, April 25, there also is a 5:30 p.m. screening clinic at Catholic Charities, 157 Roosevelt Road.

Thanks to a partnership with Crossroads Center, Project H.E.A.L. will be holding a free health screening and health coverage enrollment fair from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 26, and Friday, April 27, at Crossroads near Target.

“Covering all kids is probably one of the most effective tools we can employ in the effort to decrease the overall cost of health care across the nation. Having access to preventative care, education, and immunizations helps to prevent and catch early onset of disease before it becomes a full blown health crisis,” said Paul Knutson, St. Cloud Hospital Mission Development Specialist.

Project H.E.A.L. was created to overcome the barriers to health care for the under-served people of Central Minnesota. Parish Nurses lead medical teams from local congregations, who along with volunteers from Mid-Minnesota Family Medicine Center and HealthPartners, offer free health screenings at Catholic Charities in St. Cloud, Casa Guadalupe in Cold Spring, St. Mary’s Church in Melrose, and Centro Hispano in Waite Park.

Today, 9 million American children are living without health insurance -- more than the total number of kids enrolled in the first and second grades in U.S. public schools. Most of these children have parents who work but are not offered or cannot afford to purchase health insurance for their kids.

Now in its fifth year, Cover the Uninsured Week brings together business owners, union members, educators, students, patients, physicians, nurses, faith leaders and their congregants, and organizations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to demand that our nation’s leaders find solutions for the more than 46 million Americans living without health insurance.

# # #