Healthcare crisis: not enough specialists for the poor

Los Angeles Time
The blurry vision began early last year. Roy Lawrence ignored it as long as he could. But after falling off a ladder at his construction job, he knew he had to see a doctor.  He went to a community health clinic in South Los Angeles, where doctors determined he had diabetes and cataracts. The clinic could manage his illness but referred him early this year to the county health system for eye surgery.  Nearly a year later, Lawrence, a Jamaican immigrant without insurance, still is waiting for the operation. His vision has deteriorated so much he is considered legally blind.  "I want to see again," he said. "I've been waiting a long time."  Lawrence, 49, and patients like him are posing a critical challenge for the planned overhaul of the nation's healthcare system. Federal officials are investing billions in community health centers like the To Help Everyone (T.H.E.) Clinic, where Lawrence's problem was diagnosed, with the hope that they can keep more patients out of high-cost emergency rooms. 
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