A local uninsured farmworker received a free procedure

Operation Access is a nonprofit that helps people in Northern California access specialty medical care.

"There's a lot of places where people can go for primary care, for the uninsured or for the low-income, but once it reaches that point of needing to see a specialist, that's when it's outside of the scope of a lot of the primary care clinics," Ali Balick, Operation Access program director, said.

"And specialty care is extremely expensive. So if you're uninsured and you're in need of specialty care, you really don't know where to go for help."

That's exactly why Operation Access exists, Balick said, as it connects uninsured people with completely donated specialty care. Operation Access's partner facilities and medical groups donate all charges as charity care, according to the nonprofit's website.

Farmworker Yanet Munoz of Williams was referred to Operation Access by Ampla Health, according to Balick.

Munoz got some disappointing news after doing a non-invasive colon cancer test at home – her test came back positive for cancer, and she would need a colonoscopy to confirm a correct diagnosis, according to a media release from Sutter Health in Yuba City, where she received some good news.

"Munoz, a recent widow, had no health insurance or ability to pay for a colonoscopy," the organization said. "However, once alerted to the positive test results, the nonprofit agency Operation Access immediately connected her with Dr. Saad Aziz, a gastroenterologist affiliated with Sutter Health in Yuba City."

Dr. Aziz performed a colonoscopy on Munoz at Sutter North Surgery Center in Yuba City, and the results showed the at-home test had produced a false positive.

"When I heard the word 'cancer,' I was frightened," Munoz said. "But now I feel happy and relieved that the results came back negative."

Balick describes Munoz, who is a widow and a mom, as a lovely person.

"She's an agricultural worker, and we serve a lot of people who are agricultural workers and who need to be able to work to provide for their families. And so, access to medical care is essential to be able to continue to do the work that they're doing and to provide for their families," Balick said.

Every year, Sutter Health partners with community partners, including Operation Access, to provide no-cost surgery as part of Sutter's "Gift of Surgery" program.

Munoz is one of hundreds of patients who were able to access care through Sutter's "Gift of Surgery" program, according to their media release.

"Sutter Health invests deeply in our communities to close healthcare gaps, increase access to care, and improve individual and community wellness," said Kelly Brenk, senior director of Community Health at Sutter. "The 'Gift of Surgery' program is a wonderful example of what can be accomplished when we work with not-for-profit community partners to improve the overall health of our communities."

To contact Operation Access, call 415-733-0052.