| Summary: | A program of systematic delivery of financial services by hospital-based social workers is presented. The Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) Financial Assistance Specialist Program facilitated access to heath care for large numbers of medically needy patients and their families, increased facility reimbursement for services, decreased nonsponsored patient volumes, increased social work visibility, and improved the perception of the role that social workers have in making patient care and fiscal contributions to the health care provider. Its success contributed to its adoption as a permanent service in the Oregon Health Sciences University Hospitals and its extension to OHSU's ambulatory care clinics. The model has been adopted by numerous urban and rural hospitals throughout the state.
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