Putting a face on poverty--a tale of two counties

Disparities in social and economic status create a wall between the well and well-off and those living on the other side of town: the poor, the chronically ill, and the dying. In some cases, the needy to whom we turn a blind eye, those who need healthcare the most, live next door to us or across the street, only a zip code away. The case studies presented in this article draw attention to these members of our community and the imperfections in our present system.