For the seven people sharing the space in the small waiting room at Medical Services Bureau, the wait is worth it. As with most days, the people who have come to the bureau are seeking assistance to purchase prescription medications. As the weather turns from warm to cold, the bureau receives more requests for antibiotics. But MSB is busy all year assisting residents throughout Sedgwick County receive low-cost or free medications to treat heart conditions, diabetes, high blood pressure, respiratory problems, mental health and other chronic illnesses among the underserved and uninsured. MSB also has a program to connect clients to eyeglasses and eye care.

When Executive Director Rosa Molina joined MSB almost 14 years ago, she was greeted with a shoestring operation, but one with deep roots in the medical community. In 1937, a group of physicians founded the bureau as a way to help patients receive health care by paying only what they could afford. Later, Medical Service Bureau changed its mission to link low income, uninsured and underinsured Kansans to access to prescription medications and vision care. Rosa is only the third director in agency history. She was familiar with its importance in the community, but faced many challenges to bring the services up to date.

“I joined a staff of two in an office where all paperwork was done by hand,” Molina recalls. “We would interview up to four people an hour, take notes, write out the prescription voucher and start calling various pharmacies for the lowest prices.”

The amount of work for each patient was overwhelming. “I thought, ‘There just has to be a better way to serve people,’” Molina says.

Through the years, Molina has worked tirelessly to find new ways to bring prescription medications to those in need and improve office operations. Prior to Medicare Part D, she established a nonprofit pharmacy at MSB with the help of the agency’s first grant from Sunflower Foundation. She and her staff work with clients to match them to the best programs for obtaining their prescription medications.

Sunflower Foundation has also helped MSB purchase upgraded computer equipment and software for the creation of a reliable patient database. The ability to record and track patient and prescription information not only strengthens the quality of services, it also helps MSB manage growth.

In 2007, MSB received a Capacity Building grant for financial management software and training on its use. “Thanks to this new software, we were able to identify that the number of clients this year was 30 percent higher than one year ago. That’s the kind of information that helps us plan more effectively for the future and to be able to better serve the growing needs of our community,” Molina says.

MSB focuses on creating connections that provide effective and affordable care for clients. “Prescription medications can result in a tremendous financial burden on the uninsured and underinsured,” Molina says.

“Medical Services Bureau is trying hard to educate everyone about that, including physicians.”

Molina hopes that other communities can learn from MSB’s experience and sees the value in trying to replicate the bureau’s model of care on a broader level. “Of course we’re stronger together! We’d be most willing to assist anyone who is interested in providing similar services in other communities.”