Assistance Available To Patients Affected By The Hepatitis Outbreak At Local Clinics

City Council dedicates portion of fines collected to help underinsured and uninsured patients.

If you are an uninsured or underinsured patient of Gastroenterology Center of Nevada and Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada (any clinic location) and require services relating to treatment you received you should contact the following agency:

Great Basin Primary Care Association
AccessHealth Program
(702) 430-3580
2300 South Rancho Drive, Suite 200,
Las Vegas, NV  89102

Great Basin Primary Case Association will verify your eligibility, which includes:
• Proof of Nevada residency
• No insurance or lack of insurance
• Proof of contact with the endoscopy clinics.
Great Basin will collect your information and make appointments for you at convenient locations with medical providers who can provide testing, immunization and appropriate health care services. 
 
Background
Gastroenterology Center of Nevada and Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, LLC, held business licenses with the city of Las Vegas.  A special City Council meeting was held on April 7, 2008, to consider a complaint for disciplinary action alleging violation of the Las Vegas Municipal Code and recommending revocation of the respondents’ licensure. At that hearing, the respondents tendered $500,000 to the City Council in return for the City Council accepting surrender of the business licenses. The Council accepted the $500,000 payment and surrender of licensure in lieu of revocation.

The City Council has directed staff to make the funds available in the following manner:

$161.000 to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for a contract with a Record Management Company (ChartOne) to organize and make available to patients their medical records from the Gastroenterology Center of Nevada and Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. 

$239,000 to the Great Basin Primary Care Association for client management services, which include providing referrals for the following services:

• Provide Hepatitis screening on request. For this service only, the client does not need to furnish proof that he/she was a consumer of services at the Gastroenterology Center of Nevada and/or Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, LLC.
• Provide Hepatitis A and B vaccinations to clients who were either consumers of the Gastroenterology Center of Nevada and/or Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, LLC. or indirectly exposed by association with such consumers.
• Upon testing positive for Hepatitis C through an initial screening, clients will be provided medical consultation, case management and a course of treatment for Hepatitis C within the limits of the funding available. Services provided may include diagnostic services, laboratory fees, medical office visits, medications and other ancillary services as determined appropriate and necessary within community standards by the attending health care provider(s).

$100,000 for the District Attorney’s Office in the event a complaint or indictment is filed against the clinics.