While discussions about reforming our health care and health insurance systems continue in Washington and around the country, there are organizations in Augusta that already are taking action to address the needs of the underserved and the uninsured in our community.

Christ Community Health Services Augusta is an independent, Christian, nonprofit organization focused on proclaiming Christ and demonstrating His love by meeting the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the underserved in Augusta. Our primary method for doing that is through affordable, high-quality primary health care.

The health-care needs in our community are significant. Consider the following statistics:

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, almost 75,000 people in Richmond, Columbia and Aiken counties are without health insurance. Many of these neighbors have full-time jobs but, for various reasons, do not have health insurance.

In addition, there are about 80,000 people in our area living below the poverty level. In Richmond County that includes almost 25 percent of the residents.

Finally, the Department of Labor's latest data indicates that the unemployment rate in the Augusta/Aiken area is 9.5 percent.

IT IS EASY TO GLOSS over these sobering statistics and forget that there are real people and real families behind the numbers.

Because they do not have access to affordable health care, many will go to the emergency departments of our hospitals for issues that could be treated more effectively and more economically by a primary-care physician.

In some cases, the lack of routine preventive care results in minor illnesses becoming chronic or life-threatening conditions. Clearly, something must be done to meet the health-care needs of these individuals.

Since opening our doors in November 2007, we have completed more than 9,500 patient visits. Our patient base covers the spectrum from professionals and their families to the homeless.

More than 75 percent of our patients have no health insurance. Patients without insurance are charged a co-pay based on a sliding fee scale determined by household income and size. The co-pay ranges from $20 to 50 percent of the cost of treatment.

Anyone who is truly homeless is seen free of charge.

REGARDLESS OF THEIR situation, our patients receive high quality affordable primary health care and are treated with compassion and dignity.

CCHSA currently operates on D'Antignac Street in facilities owned by University Health Care Systems. Even though we will soon add three exam rooms to our existing four, we have reached maximum capacity at our current location.

To fulfill our mission, Christ Community Health Services Augusta requires a larger, more modern facility. In response to this need, Clay Boardman III generously donated the historic Widows Home in the heart of downtown Augusta to CCHSA. The donation of the Widows Home is the cornerstone of our capital campaign -- Restoring Hope, Honoring History.

The Widows Home was built in 1887. It is on the same Greene Street property where, from 1818 until 1869, the Medical Academy of Georgia trained physicians and the City Hospital of Augusta cared for the "sick poor." After it opened, the Widows Home quickly evolved from a home for Confederate widows and their children into a haven for any woman needing affordable housing. As recently as 2003, women still lived in the Widows Home.

CCHSA IS RENOVATING the Widows Home to continue that legacy. The land where the building stands will again be used for both medical and educational purposes. The building again will welcome adults and children seeking refuge in troubled times.

The Widows Home will provide space to expand CCHSA operations significantly. It will feature 12 exam rooms, a full-sized laboratory, a pediatric physical therapy suite, a classroom, a counseling office, offices for six medical providers and administrative offices. It also will allow us to expand our partnership with MCG by allowing more residents to complete rotations in our clinic.

We expect to increase our patient capacity to 25,000-30,000 visits per year.

The Restoring Hope, Honoring History Capital Campaign for the Widows Home has created an avenue for continuing Augusta's history of compassion.

We are pleased to report that we are well past the halfway mark in our capital campaign.

We would not be where we are without the generous support of Larry Read and University Hospital. We also are grateful for the support of MCG and Trinity Hospital, many local churches and businesses, and countless individuals who have volunteered their money, time, skills and talent at the Widows Home and at our current D'Antignac Street location.

NOW WE ARE ASKING for the support of the entire community to help us conclude the capital campaign for the Widows Home and allow us to expand our services to the underserved of the CSRA.

Please join us Nov. 14 for our Second Anniversary Open House at 1226 D'Antignac St. Come see firsthand how God is reaching the poor and needy in our own community. We will offer tours of our current facility and the Widows Home.

Christ calls us to reach out to the poor and needy. Now, more than ever, the services provided by Christ Community Health Services and other similar organizations are a critical safety net for those without adequate health insurance.

Regardless of the outcome of the current debate over health-care reform, we are excited to be at the forefront of efforts to make sure that everyone in the CSRA has access to affordable, quality health care.