Partnership to Expand Local Musicians’ Access to Prescription Medications
December 2009
(New Orleans, La.) – New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic announced a new partnership with the Dispensary of Hope, a growing network of clinics and pharmacies, to provide cost-effective prescription medicines to working uninsured and/or low-income residents and musicians in New Orleans.
The Dispensary of Hope is a statewide and national network of dispensing sites, sourcing partners and financial partners that assist financially needy and underserved individuals in getting the medications they need for short and long term.
“As the principal healthcare provider for more than 1,800 uninsured New Orleans musicians and artists, access to medications at the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic is vital to our patients,” said Bethany Ewald Bultman, New Orleans Musicians Clinic and Assistance Foundation president and co-founder. “The majority of our patients survive below the poverty level, so we look forward to our partnership with the Dispensary to greatly increase access to medication for these individuals.”
The not-for-profit New Orleans Musicians Assistance Foundation (NOMAF) provides access, regardless of a musician’s ability to pay, to occupational medical services through the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic (NOMC) in partnership with a network of community medical providers and volunteers.
“No one should be deprived of medications because of an inability to pay for them. The Dispensary of Hope is proud to partner with NOMC to complement the services they already provide to the community,” said Jason Dinger, Chief Executive Officer of the Dispensary of Hope.
The New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic joins other healthcare facilities in New Orleans to adopt the Dispensary of Hope program and is instrumental in sharing the model with the other members of the 504 HealthNet, a non-profit network providing a primary care safety net to Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines Parishes.
The New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic is located at 2820 Napoleon Avenue, Suite 890.
The Dispensary of Hope and the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinicwill need continual support from local physicians who can donate excess, unexpired medications to the Dispensary. Please visit: www.dispensaryofhope.org and click “Donate Meds” if you are able to contribute.
About the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic
Dedicated on May 2, 1998, NOMC became the first such health initiative in the United States, addressing the health care needs of musicians and their families. Not only do we strive to affect an agenda of wellness in our musician patient population, we encourage our musicians to become advocates for early detection, prevention, and treatment for others facing the same risks. For more information, visit www.nomaf.org.
About the Dispensary of Hope
Founded in 2003, the Dispensary of Hope is the leading provider of pharmaceuticals to uninsured patients through a growing network of dispensing sites across the country sustained by local partnerships. The Dispensary has collected and distributed tens of millions of dollars worth of pharmaceuticals and filled more than 200,000 prescriptions for patients who otherwise couldn’t afford them. For more information, visit ww.dispensaryofhope.org.
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