Z.I.A.D. Healthcare for the Underserved Inc. is a 501c3 Non Profit organization that came to be in 2002 when four individuals sat down and looked for ways to help provide access to the uninsured. Specifically they looked at those that fall through cracks, some 46,000,000 people in the United States. These are the people that work part time jobs (making them unqualified for governmental assistance), and receive no coverage from their employers, and cannot afford the premiums of health insurance.
Z.I.A.D. derives its name from the names of its founders Ray Zak, Iqbal Nasser MD, Ibraham Ahmed ND, Theodore Densley MD. Z.I.A.D. primarily works with private doctors to find a primary care home for the uninsured on a sliding scale program where they receive reduced office costs based on federal poverty guidelines.
If you are a primary care office and would like to participate in the program please call 313-815-8767.
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On August 9, 2022 Ray Zak the president of the board of ZIAD received a prestigious award from the Wayne County Health Authority for the work done by him in leadership of ZIAD Healthcare for the Underserved.
The plaque was awarded and titled “The Best Safety Net Award” with the following inscription:
“On The ninth day of August , 2022, in recognition for extraordinary commitment and service to community health care, we recognize Ray Zak.” The plaque was signed by Gail Warden and Chris Allen of the Wayne County Health Authority. Congratulations to Ray Zak on his devoted leadership of Z.I.A.D.
ZIAD Health Care for the Underserved participated in a health and community fair at Resurrection Lutheran Church Kelly Rd., Detroit, MI.. ZIAD provided the community with information on services that are available for the uninsured, and also provided Free Blood Pressure screening.The event was a cooperative program of three Lutheran churches in the Detroit area. Many residents turned out for the free information, screening, community togetherness, and some free hot dogs. Click here to see pictures from the event.
As always for information on health care call ZIAD at 313-815-8767
A Letter from the HeartDear Friends of ZIAD,
I have been blessed my entire life with the luxury of health insurance. My Father provided for me when I was a child, and I have been fortunate enough in my adult life to provide coverage for myself and my family. Recently, however, my son was stricken with a very rare blood disorder, and we were forced to live in a children’s hospital in Los Angeles for many weeks. I was able to see, first hand, how such a tragedy can financially ruin a family.
The bill for merely the first two weeks in the hospital came to just over $99,000 dollars. One bag of transfusable blood alone cost over $700 dollars. Our son faces a minimum of another 12 to 18 months of treatment. Without insurance, we would have been forced to declare bankruptcy, at the very least. There are thousands of families seeking care for loved ones with life-threatening and chronic afflictions every day. Sadly, the truth is there are many, many families that are turned away from facilities in this great country, only because they do not have enough medical insurance. Please help the gracious people of ZIAD provide care for the underinsured. If you have ever had a loved one need medical attention, you know the urgency of their mission.
Thank you, and may God bless your family with perfect health,
Paul Ganus
Nearly 46 million Americans, including more than 8 million children, are living without health insurance – forced to gamble every day that they won’t get sick or injured. That’s a risk no one should have to take. Uninsured Americans live sick and die younger than those with health insurance. Just one serious illness or injury can wipe out an uninsured family’s bank account, and the problem is getting worse.
To provide health care, health education, physical fitness and other programs to uninsured, under insured, poor, working poor families, and individuals. To provide access to health care in underserved areas, and to the frail elderly.
1) Expand the network of Private doctors offices, and services working with Z.I.A.D. Healthcare for the Underserved that provide primary healthcare as well as other services to underserved, poor, and working poor, and on a sliding scale basis to other geographical areas.
2) Expand services and assistance to the frail elderly.
3) To participate and collaborate with other organizations helping the uninsured or underinsured.
3) To participate and collaborate with Specialty, Pharmacy, Hospital, Dental and other programs to help the uninsured.
4) To identify, apply for and obtain grants that provide screening and outreach to identify disease early up.
Affiliates:
Donations: ZIAD Health Care for the Underserved Inc. is open to all donations public and private and has received Tax Exempt Status with the IRS (#75-3080830).
Donations can be made to ZIAD Health Care via PayPal. Below are buttons that you can use to donate now. We appreciate your donations very much.
The healthcare industry in the United States is a complex system. It brings together patients, providers, insurers, policymakers, private firms, and countless other stakeholders. Yet there are many challenges that make this system feel unwieldy and frustrating. From climbing costs to staffing shortages, each problem seems to feed into the next. Below is a closer look at some of the major hurdles healthcare faces, along with a few thoughts on how these problems affect real people every day.
Costs keep going up. Many individuals feel blindsided when they receive large hospital bills after a procedure or an emergency visit. People who have decent insurance might still face high deductibles or surprise charges that come out of nowhere. Some wonder if it’s even safe to seek care, worried about how big the bill might be.
Hospitals are also feeling the pinch. They have to spend more on expensive treatments and medical devices. Medication prices continue to climb, which is especially hard on people who rely on prescriptions for chronic conditions. Employers struggle too, as they try to offer health benefits without breaking the bank. Overall, rising costs make it harder for the entire system to operate smoothly, and for many people, the financial stress alone can undermine their health.
Recently, there’s been growing debate about private equity firms and big corporations taking over healthcare facilities. Some people argue that these investments lead to more efficiency, modernized practices, and better use of resources. Others, however, point to the potential downsides. They worry that private equity priorities might not always align with patient care.
When a firm is mainly focused on cost-cutting, it can lead to reduced staffing or a decline in the quality of services. In some cases, people have reported understaffed clinics and nursing homes where patients feel rushed or overlooked. A few critics believe this corporate influence might be making it harder for healthcare to serve vulnerable communities, especially those that aren’t as profitable.
There’s a well-documented shortage of nurses, physicians, and other healthcare workers in the United States. This gap got even bigger during and after major public health emergencies, when burnout rates soared. Nurses and doctors have been dealing with hectic schedules, overwhelming patient loads, and emotional strain. Many are leaving the profession, or moving into less stressful roles.
For patients, this shortage can mean longer wait times and rushed appointments. In rural areas, it might mean you can’t find a specialist for hours in any direction. And when hospitals or clinics are staffed by an overworked team, mistakes happen more easily. Even routine procedures become a big deal if you don’t have enough trained support. It’s a vicious cycle: fewer workers lead to more burnout, which then leads to even fewer workers. Click for more information.
Access to care isn’t the same for everyone. Some people have excellent insurance and live near top-notch hospitals, so it’s easy for them to get the care they need. Others aren’t so lucky. Rural communities often have limited facilities or face closures of their local hospitals. Some urban neighborhoods also lack specialists or have clinics that are underfunded and understaffed.
Inequities go beyond geography. Many marginalized groups experience bias, either implicit or explicit, within the healthcare system. They might face language barriers or live in areas without consistent public transportation. Financial barriers are also huge for those without stable jobs or good insurance coverage. These disparities mean that health outcomes can vary drastically depending on who you are, where you live, and what kind of resources you have.
In the past couple of years, there have been worrying shortages of critical drugs. These include medications that treat conditions like diabetes, cancer, and various infections. Some doctors scramble to find alternative treatments or ration out what remains. That’s not good for anyone, especially people who rely on life-saving prescriptions.
Why does it happen? Several factors contribute, such as limited manufacturing capacity, supply chain disruptions, and fluctuating demand. It can take just one factory closure to throw everything off. And while some organizations are attempting to build better systems for tracking and distributing medication, progress can be slow. The result? Patients sometimes go without the drugs they desperately need.
Healthcare data is a goldmine for cybercriminals. It has personal information, insurance details, and often payment data. When hospitals or technology providers get hacked, patient records can end up on the dark web, and operations can grind to a halt. Imagine trying to run a hospital when all your systems are locked by ransomware, or your electronic billing is suddenly offline. It’s a nightmare scenario that has already happened more than once.
The challenges lie not just in preventing these cyberattacks, but also in detecting them quickly and mitigating the damage. Some healthcare facilities have outdated systems, which makes them more vulnerable to intrusions. Plus, training every staff member on cybersecurity best practices can be tough in a fast-paced environment.
Health insurance in the U.S. is famously complicated. You have different plans, networks, copays, coinsurance, and deductibles. Then there’s Medicare and Medicaid, each with its own set of rules. Providers often face hurdles in getting reimbursed for the care they give, and patients can find themselves lost in a maze of paperwork and denied claims.
One significant issue is the way insurers might push for prior authorizations. Before a patient can get certain treatments or medications, the provider has to get approval. That can delay necessary care. Sometimes, by the time the paperwork is done, the patient’s condition might have worsened. There’s also the problem of surprise bills if the insurance company deems a service “out of network.” This financial confusion can make people hesitate to seek medical help in the first place. Check.
Medical debt can pile up fast. A single hospital visit might cost thousands of dollars, especially for those without robust insurance. Some people turn to credit cards or loans, but that just kicks the can down the road and adds interest on top. Others face aggressive debt collection tactics. It’s demoralizing to be in that position, worried about your health and your finances at the same time.
Regulations intended to curb unfair billing practices are in flux, and that uncertainty adds to the anxiety patients feel. There have been pauses on certain reforms aimed at transparency in billing or protections against surprise charges. Some consumer advocates fear these delays will weaken the push for clearer rules, leaving patients vulnerable to high fees or confusing statements.
Mental health services are stretched thin. Depression, anxiety, addiction, and other conditions are widespread, yet it can take weeks or months just to see a qualified counselor or psychiatrist. Even people with insurance find that mental health coverage might be spotty, requiring out-of-network providers or very high copays.
The strain is apparent. More individuals are seeking help for stress, trauma, and chronic conditions like bipolar disorder, but there just aren’t enough professionals to handle the volume. Emergency departments sometimes end up boarding patients with severe mental health issues because no psychiatric beds are available. It’s clear we need better funding for mental health programs, more training for mental health professionals, and easier pathways for patients to get assistance. But making that happen requires both political will and sustained investment.
Technology in healthcare is supposed to improve efficiency and help doctors share information easily. In practice, electronic health record systems don’t always talk to each other. A hospital might use one system, a clinic a different one, and a lab might use another altogether. Getting them to communicate is a constant headache.
Patients can feel the tension when they’re asked the same questions multiple times. Or maybe one specialist doesn’t have access to the lab results from another provider. Telemedicine has expanded, but even that isn’t always integrated smoothly. Some patients love virtual visits. Others find that their doctor’s system crashes often or the connection is poor. Many hospitals and clinics are working on better interoperability, but progress is uneven. For now, technology can be both a blessing and a burden.
Recent global health crises have shined a harsh light on how prepared (or unprepared) we are for large-scale emergencies. Hospitals faced a shortage of essential equipment at critical moments, and there was confusion over guidelines. Public health agencies found themselves scrambling to coordinate responses and distribute resources.
The supply chain weaknesses for things like personal protective equipment became very clear. Data sharing between different jurisdictions and organizations also turned out to be a challenge. We might see calls for more funding and better training for healthcare workers, especially for handling sudden surges in patient volume. But those improvements don’t happen overnight. It’s an ongoing process to build a public health infrastructure that can handle a crisis without unraveling.
Many of these problems are interconnected. When costs go up, access goes down. When staffing is stretched thin, patient outcomes suffer. Throw in complex insurance rules and supply chain issues, and it’s easy to see why people sometimes feel defeated. Despite these challenges, there’s still a lot of hope. Advocates push for reforms to make care more affordable and transparent. Providers and tech companies are collaborating on better ways to handle patient data. Medical schools are working to recruit and train more professionals, while also stressing the importance of mental health.
In my opinion, real solutions will require cooperation at multiple levels. Policymakers can’t fix everything, but they can create frameworks that incentivize better care and more equitable access. Hospitals can adopt policies that value staff well-being and invest in proper cybersecurity. Insurers can simplify the coverage process and reduce hidden fees. And communities can keep pushing for improvements that directly help their neighbors.
The U.S. healthcare system might be massive and complicated, but it’s also full of people trying their best to serve patients. Each challenge described here is serious, but not impossible to overcome. It may take years, and perhaps some frustration along the way, but progress is possible. If anything, these issues have sparked debates that force everyone—from private equity investors to government officials—to consider what a truly effective healthcare system should look like. And that’s at least a step in the right direction.