Referral-outreach program links community clinics and hospital

Abstract

In the San Diego area, a special program has established a linkage system between a major medical center and community clinics that provide primary care to persons in generally low-income, medically underserved neighborhoods. This system ensures continuity of care for the clinic patients through referrals to the medical center and follow-up back at the clinics and through provision of special services by the medical center's physicians onsite at the clinics.