Harry Patkowski was afraid, and only part of that fear was that he might die.
Patkowski, 57, checked in at the St. Joseph Hospital emergency room after suffering a heart attack Feb. 14. The hospital admitted him for surgery, but something else weighed heavily on his mind: Though employed, he had no health insurance.
“I thought: When is it going to end?” Patkowski said of his stay at the Denver hospital. “When are these guys going to figure out that I don’t have health insurance?”
His treatment continued.
Patkowski is a beneficiary of the St. Joseph Hospital Foundation’s Charity Care program. The foundation has applied for Season to Share funding.
St. Joseph Hospital annually provides more than $60 million in care for patients who are unable to pay.
But the foundation, founded in 1977, covers just less than 2 percent of this amount through private donations and various fundraising events. The hospital absorbs most of the cost.
“You’re not a number, you’re a person. That’s the key,” said St. Joseph Hospital Foundation chief executive Carl Unrein.
Unrein said the slow economy has resulted in a surge of uninsured and underinsured patients who need the foundation’s help.
“Our role has become more critical,” he said.
There are four Charity Care Clinics on St. Joseph’s campus. These include a family-oriented general practice, a general surgery clinic, a clinic focusing on obstetrical and gynecological medicine, and a midwifery practice.
Dr. Mark Ammons, the St. Joseph cardiac surgeon who performed Patkowski’s lifesaving bypass operation, said the hospital’s ability to care for the uninsured gives it “a special atmosphere.”
“It’s nice to feel that you’re just practicing medicine,” said Ammons, adding that heart surgery can cost up to $35,000.
The staff in Ammons’ office said patients who receive care at the hospital’s expense often do their best to pay it back, sometimes in amounts of $10 a month.
Ammons said some patients keep in touch long after their procedures and post-operative cardiac therapy.
“Some call you every year on the anniversary of their surgeries,” Ammons said. “One woman showed up with cookies.”
Patkowski, who also receives treatment for respiratory problems, said his fears of being dropped from the hospital’s care have evaporated, leaving him “full of gratitude” for the services he has obtained at almost no cost.
“It’s all been resolved,” Patkowski said. “And here I am.”
Kyle Glazier: 303-954-1638 or kglazier@denverpost.com
St. Joseph Hospital Foundation
Address: 1835 Franklin St., Denver
In operation since: 1977
Number served last year: More than 50,000
Staff: Several hundred at the hospital; seven at the foundation
Yearly budget: $2.4 million
Percentage of funds directly to clients/ services: 100
