Prairie du Sac, Wis.--In the mid 1990s, with their three teenagers still at home, Gina and Bill Peterson* were blindsided with a calamity of health problems that forced each of them to leave work because of disabilities. They were still in their 40s.

Further health concerns arose and the couple struggled to stay afloat in a sea of welling medical bills.

Thankfully, a glimmer of hope emerged recently in the form of Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital & Clinics' (SPMHC) Community Care program. Bill and Gina learned the program would pay their medical bills - now and into the future. So far, Community Care has paid more than $5,000 in medical expenses on behalf of the Petersons.

SPMHC's Community Care program assists patients by paying a portion or all of their medical bills, awarding more than $1 million in medical bill relief to hundreds of patients in 2006.

Financial relief came after years of health problems suffered by both of the Petersons. Their nightmare began in 1994 when Bill suffered a fractured skull in an industrial accident, and three years later, brain damage and a broken back and neck as a result of a motorcycle collision. Gina, who worked as a nursing assistant at the time, struggled to care for her disabled husband, mother her three children, and manage finances and household duties.

"A couple of years after his last accident, I just got so that I couldn't work anymore and keep up with everything," she said. "I was so worn out physically and mentally that I had a breakdown."

Still, the Petersons hadn't yet hit rock-bottom. Their onslaught of health problems continued to mount, and this year, culminated in six surgical procedures to treat a myriad of serious problems. Along with each surgery came more bills.

In 2007, surgeons repaired herniated disks in Gina's back and operated on her arthritic shoulder. Between each procedure, Gina cared for Bill, who underwent four heart procedures in four months.

"He's had four surgeries since February to put stents into clogged arteries in his heart and arms," she said. And, while Medicare covered the lion's share of these medical expenses, it didn't cover everything. "We pay around $200 a month just for prescriptions," she said. "One bill from surgery was $58,000. Medicare covered all but $900 of it. I kept paying $50 per month on the medical bills, but they just kept adding up."

As a low-income couple, the Petersons maintain they couldn't afford supplemental insurance to pick up costs not covered by Medicare. They admit, they could barely handle monthly medication costs. Fortunately, the Petersons discovered they qualified for Community Care.

"Community Care represents the hospital's commitment to improving the health of our community," said Linda Ward, patient financial specialist at SPMHC. "One of the most tangible ways we can do this is to recognize people who may be struggling to pay medical bills. We can help determine if our patients can get financial help from local, state and federal healthcare programs and we can help them apply for our Community Care or other discount programs."

Ward worked closely with Gina to help her apply for Community Care - an easy process, according to Gina. "I just completed a sheet outlining our budget and detailed our income and monthly bills. I am terribly relieved we qualified because we are low-income and it was very hard to keep up with our medical expense payments," she said.

How are the Petersons feeling today? Much better, attests Gina. Not only are they relieved to be free of their debts, they are gaining strength physically day by day.

"The MRI of my shoulder showed that it was full of arthritis and bone spurs," she said. "I had so much pain I couldn't bend my arm." Thanks to surgery and therapy, Gina reports her arm is healing well, but the process is slow. Moreover, surgeons successfully alleviated 80 percent of her back pain as a result of her back surgery earlier this year.

While Bill still struggles to find his words as a result of brain damage suffered years ago, Gina said he is doing well following his heart procedures and that medications benefit him immensely. It appears there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel, according to Gina.

*Names changed to ensure patient confidentiality

Do You Qualify for Community Care?
In less than two weeks, patients of Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital & Clinics know whether they qualify for Community Care financial assistance. For more information call 608-643-7157.