A staggering doctor's bill placed on the back's of the Valley's main health care providers, but officials with Forum Health, Humility of Mary Health Partners, the Ohio North East Health System, and YSU are hoping to ease this financial pain.

So they created the Mahoning Valley Access to Care Network.

"We've realized this is a huge issue that not one single organization can tackle. We need to group together to create a united front to reduce this burden", says Harley.

The rate of uninsured adults eighteen and over ranges from twelve percent in Trumbull County, to fifteen percent in Mahoning, and eighteen percent down in Columbiana.

Often those without insurance head to the emergency room for medical attention, no matter what their ailment. This not only puts a strain on their pocket book, but also on the health care system they visit.

The network hopes to give these residents better access to primary care physicians, in turn helping them better manage their health.

Bob Schroder, HMHP President says, "We're trying to get them into a primary care place where we can identify these problems early in the disease process."

And Valley officials are turning to Akron and Toledo with programs already in place.

For instance, in Summit County, two hundred doctors and two hundred fifty specialists donate their care to uninsured residents.

The Access to Care Network hopes to put a similar model into place closer to home.