By DEVIN WEEKS

Staff Writer

A broken bone didn't keep one of Dr. Jonathan King's patients from working for months after the break.

But a lack of insurance and means to pay for medical assistance did keep the patient from going to the doctor when the break occurred.

"By the time they had gotten to me, the bone had started to heal already. There wasn't much I needed to do," King said Monday. "It bothers me, having people around you who are suffering and they don't have the means to seek medical attention."

This patient works in the food service industry, which comprises countless workers throughout the community living without insurance and barely skating by between paychecks. It’s also true for many in the hospitality industry, where employees experience seasonal shortcomings depending on tourism and travel.

King is an orthopedic surgeon who has joined forces with CDAIDE, a nonprofit dedicated to serving those who serve others by connecting them with resources, financial assistance, mentoring, counseling and other services. He's willing to provide his talents at little or no cost for those who can't afford an out-of-pocket doctor visit.

"What's mind-boggling is in Coeur d'Alene, you look around and it seems like such an affluent resort community, but there are so many people, all the people in the service industry, who aren't paid very high," King said. "It's a struggle. They don't have insurance. It's pretty shocking when you find out how significant the need is in our own community with these people who are working hard to serve others, and they don't even have the ability to seek help or to be treated."

Like King, others in the community have answered CDAIDE's call to action.

Northwest Specialty Hospital in Post Falls assisted Shania Schnall with her surgery bill when her insurance and income weren't enough to pay her medical expenses and rent. She is a front desk supervisor and started her working career as a server at age 14.

"They forgave over half of what I owed," said Schnall, of Coeur d'Alene. "I was so thankful when they said they would. I really didn't expect it."

If she couldn't have this expensive surgery, which relieved her of ovarian cysts and endometriosis, Schnall said she had been told by several other doctors she might as well undergo a hysterectomy. She was overjoyed to announce that thanks to CDAIDE's help to get the procedure, she was able to conceive and is now 18 weeks pregnant.

"I can't even put into words how thankful I am for the program," she said. "The hospitality industry is a thankless industry. People don't really take into account how taxing it is for us every single day to put smiles on our faces and make sure everyone else is taken care of when we don't always take care of ourselves.

"I really think that CDAIDE has hit a spot that nobody else has done before, like helping these hospitality workers. We usually don't ask for help. Being able to accept help when it's given to us, it's amazing."

The volunteer-led CDAIDE works through a referral system, so workers in need are recommended by someone else: managers, co-workers and others who interact with these at-risk individuals.

"My manager saw I was struggling and she knew I wouldn't ask anybody for help because that's how I am," Schnall said.

The services aren't long term, and CDAIDE isn't an advocacy group. The resources are provided to lift up workers who find themselves in a pinch — their car battery dies, their furnace goes out, they need to establish counseling sessions — and help create a balance rather than a deficit in their lives.

"A lot of these folks, they're in a position where they'll never be able to pay these bills," said CDAIDE board chair Rebecca Smith.

In the coming year, Smith said, CDAIDE will be working on outreach and building partnerships to help even more people in the community.

Last year, 60 percent of CDAIDE's efforts helped people with housing stability, including rent assistance and utilities; 26 percent supported job readiness, including transportation and child care; and 14 percent covered health issues. Exactly half of the recipients were male and half were female.

Serving in the role of board chair has really shown Smith the multiplicity of needs of the people in our community, she said: "It crosses over into every need — housing, job training, medical care."

"Help with housing is the top need," Smith said. "The other area we have a lot of need is in medical bills. We have a lot folks who don't have insurance and they often wait until the last minute to get medical care … then they get themselves into a collection situation that is extremely stressful."

Schnall will share her story in person during the third annual Care Affair, CDAIDE's biggest supporting event.

The Care Affair will be held at The Coeur d’Alene Resort starting at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Four area chefs will offer scrumptious appetizers to tempt guests to bid on their services during a live auction. The highest-bidder will receive a meal for up to eight people, chef-prepared right in their home.

The rest of the evening will include a hospitality-themed silent auction, dinner and a paddle raise. All funds will benefit CDAIDE.

Tickets are $30 and are available online: www.cdaide.org