Dr. Deanna Monroe is a community pediatrician practicing in Chicago and the northwest suburbs.

As a primary care pediatrician, many of her young patients must be referred to pediatric specialists for advanced treatment and therapies.  She finds that it is sometimes hard for her patients who are covered by Medicaid to see a specialist without being put on a long waiting list.  She knows that many of her specialist colleagues want to treat more kids on Medicaid, but can’t afford to accept such low rates from the State for their services.  “Many of these kids end up seeking treatment in their local emergency room, which is much more expensive,” says Dr. Monroe.