Dr. James Shafer with Brian Hartman [Photo: Kaila Jones]

Supporters carried the torch for the We Care Foundation of Indian River County, lighting the way for the uninsured at the sixth annual Mardi Gras Celebration last Friday evening at the Oak Harbor Club. The foundation supports the ancillary expenses of the We Care program, funding essential services outside of those donated by local physicians.

Masked guests were engulfed in a carnival-like atmosphere as soon as they entered the lobby, enjoying cocktails while strolling down ‘Bourbon Street’ to peruse raffle items, oohing and ahhing over the tricks a wandering magician had up his sleeve, craning their necks to take in the stilt walkers, and letting the good times roll while gambling with funny money in the casino.

The real winners of the evening of revelry are the residents of Indian River County who struggle to afford healthcare.

Since 1991, volunteer physicians have donated specialty medical care and services to uninsured and underinsured Indian River County residents who are ineligible for Medicare or Medicaid. The We Care Foundation provides such essential items as prescription assistance, wound care and orthopedic supplies, cataract lenses and vouchers for transportation to medical appointments.

While Fat Tuesday has passed, and the time of Lenten reflection has begun, guests ate their way through a variety of sumptuous New Orleans cuisine, from Cajun rubbed pork and beef tenderloin to crawfish beignets, crab cakes, Cajun chicken and waffles, andouille sausage and a raw bar. And, to fully embrace the carnival ‘boeuf gras’ gluttony, finished with bananas Foster, deconstructed pecan pie shooters and bread pudding.

We Care founder Dr. Dennis Saver led the bacchanal march into the dining room and, later, Phoebe’s Samba Dancers imparted a high-energy performance and the stage was turned over to D.J. Louie G. for an evening of dancing.

“During these past 29 years, it truly has taken a village to help thousands of We Care patients,” said Saver. “However, none of it would be possible without the dedication of We Care volunteers and other medical professionals – over 130 last year – who annually give the gift of service.”

Saver said that by coordinating patient access to indigent drug programs through pharmaceutical companies, We Care has helped cure 35 Hepatitis C patients, which translated to $2.6 million in medication. He noted that it would have cost taxpayers far more if those patients had been left untreated.

“There are an unbelievable amount of people that don’t have insurance and don’t have access to medical care, which means they use the emergency room. And that’s no substitute for primary or specialty care,” said Dr. Herman Fountain, We Care Clinic physician and Medical Executive Director.

Fountain recalled one patient who had visited the emergency room five times for a lesion on his arm. Each time he had been referred to a dermatologist, but the $200 appointment cost was beyond his means.

For eight months what turned out to be a squamous cell carcinoma continued to grow, before the patient was finally referred to We Care. Now a volunteer dermatologist, surgeon and oncologist are consulting on the best course of action.

“The tumor progressed for eight months before he got care. It’s inexcusable,” said Fountain. “It’s tragic to see, but that’s just one case. It ends up costing everybody in the community a lot more, and a lot of people lose their lives because of it. Studies show when patients get consistent, quality primary care, that costs will actually go down, disease will go down and outcomes will improve.”

For more information, visit wecareofirc.org.