Information For Clinics

If you are a prospective clinic looking to get involved, below are some qualifications info regarding patients.

How to Refer a Patient

Doctors and nurses at participating community clinics refer eligible patients to AccessOC, Southern California, for surgery with a referral form. An AccessOC, Southern California, representative calls patients to determine if they qualify for the program.

In order to qualify, a patient :

  • must not have health insurance or Worker’s Compensation coverage, spousal/partner coverage
  • must be ineligible for any publicly sponsored programs Medi-Cal, Medicare, MSI, Healthy Families or California Children’s Services throughout the entire process; if patient becomes eligible during their time on the waitlist or after becoming an AccessOC patient, the patient will be referred to social services for care
  • must earn less than 250% of the Federal Poverty Level – $26,000 for individual $53,000 for a family of four
  • must be referred by a doctor or nurse for a medically necessary, low-risk, outpatient surgery
  • must live in Orange County
  • must not require ongoing care by surgeon for successful recovery (referring clinic maintains responsibility for care beyond surgery, after post-op appointment)
  • After a clinic refers a patient, AccessOC, Southern California, will schedule a consultation and surgery with a surgeon at one of the participating hospitals. Acceptance for surgery is the surgeon’s decision; wait time depends on volunteer surgeon availability.
  • After the initial post-operative appointment the patient will return to the referring community clinic for follow up care.

Typical Procedures

AccessOC, Southern California, coordinates low-risk, outpatient procedures with Orange County hospitals and outpatient facilities. Common procedures provided through AccessOC include (others may be available):

  • Cholecystectomy
  • Hernia repair
  • Lipoma & cyst excision
  • Minor Gynecological
  • Ear, Nose and Throat
  • Ophthalmology, including cataract and pterygium
  • Orthopedic
  • Urology
  • Gastroenterology