Free Health Care for the Uninsured Is Coming to Atlanta This Month

/PRNewswire/ -- Georgians struggling with the lack of health insurance will soon get much-needed help when the National Association of Free Clinics (NAFC) in conjunction with the Georgia Free Clinic Network (GFCN) holds its next C.A.R.E. Clinic at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta on March 27 from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

This will be the sixth in a series of large, mostly one-day C.A.R.E. (Communities Are Responding Everyday) Clinics held around the country to bring together physicians and other health care professionals, as well as non-medical volunteers, to serve the needs of thousands of people who might otherwise go without medical care. Since last September, more than 7,000 uninsured patients received treatment at C.A.R.E. Clinics in Houston, New Orleans, Little Rock, Kansas City and Hartford.

"As long as affordable health insurance is not available for everyone, there will be a great need for the work that more than 1,200 free clinics across the country do every day," NAFC Executive Director Nicole Lamoureux said.

In Georgia, almost 18 percent of the non-elderly residents do not have health insurance.

"We are excited to be able to hold a C.A.R.E. Clinic in Georgia, where the work of free clinics is very much needed," Donna Looper, executive director of the Georgia Free Clinic Network, said. "A strong network of clinics and other safety-net providers exists throughout the state. Not only will patients receive immediate care at this event, but they also will be connected to this network that can offer them care on an ongoing basis."

In 2008, free clinics across the nation provided care to about 4 million uninsured people, including 175,000 in Georgia. In 2009, that doubled to about 8 million people, despite a decline in donations. A $1 donation to free clinics typically provides $5 worth of services.

"It is important to note that being uninsured is not the same as being unemployed," Lamoureux said. "About 83 percent of uninsured people have jobs. At past C.A.R.E. Clinics, we found that many of the patients worked at two or more jobs but did not receive health insurance benefits. Some even worked as nurses or for insurance companies but still did not have insurance themselves."

Volunteers can register now for shifts between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on March 26, when the clinic will be set up, and between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on March 27.

Medical volunteers needed for the Atlanta clinic include doctors of medicine, doctors of osteopathy, nurse practitioners, physician's assistants, registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, emergency medical technicians, medical administrators, licensed clinical social workers and more. Non-medical volunteers are needed to help with documentation, logistical support, patient intake and translation, as well as to be patient greeters and escorts. Help also is needed for setting up the clinic, as well as breaking it down.

Information for volunteers is available online at http://www.regonline.com/Atlanta_CARE_Clinic, as well as at http://freeclinics.us/ or http://www.gfcn.org/. Those interested in appointments for patients at the clinic may call 1-277-233-5159 to sign up now.

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Grant Provides Health Care for Uninsured Working Adults

Nearly 1.7 million Georgians are without health insurance -- in Lowndes County that represents more than 18,000 residents who do not have any type of health insurance, of those, approximately 7,000 are uninsured working adults.

Valdosta State University’s College of Nursing received a five-year, $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Health Resources and Services Administration to assist the Lowndes County Partnership for Health (LCPFH) in providing medical services for the uninsured employed adults in Lowndes County.

The Partnership Health Clinic, located at 205 Woodrow Wilson Drive, Valdosta, Ga., operates under the leadership of the LCPFH, which is a community-based organization with the mission to improve the health of citizens within Lowndes County.

Currently, the clinic operates with five full-time staff members and numerous volunteers, including physicians, nurses and other health professionals. The clinic is open limited hours on Tuesday and Wednesday and two Saturdays per month. The clinic provides non-emergency health care treatments, referrals to specialists and lab services free of charge.

The grant, Project Health Link, will enable the clinic to expand its hours of operation to five days per week and double the number of patients treated. Under the supervision and instruction of Valdosta State’s nursing faculty, undergraduate and graduate nursing students will rotate through the clinical site and provide patient assessment at the advanced and basic clinical levels.

“The clinic will offer nursing students a unique opportunity to receive hands-on, outpatient care and help them become proficient in patient, family, and community education health care skills,” said Dr. Jean Temple, associate dean of the College of Nursing. “The focus will be on teaching-learning experiences, development of clinical nursing skills at the advanced practice and basic clinical skills level, and using evidence-based models of health in promotion and culturally sensitive best practices.”

According to Temple, who serves as the director of Project Health Link, the faculty-guided learning experiences will meet the College of Nursing course objectives while simultaneously serving the health care needs of the working uninsured citizens of Lowndes County.

Valdosta State’s College of Nursing has been a part of the LCPFH since its beginning in 1997. Temple, along with Dr. Anita Hufft, dean of the College of Nursing, serve on the LCPFH Board of Directors, and numerous nursing faculty members volunteer their services.

“Project Health Link allows for the development of a formal partnership between the Lowndes County Partnership for Health and Valdosta State’s College of Nursing,” Temple said.

The LCPFH will provide a facility that will enable Valdosta State’s faculty to meet their clinical requirements and a location for clinical experiences for the students.

“This project is a continuation of the long term relationship that the Lowndes County Partnership for Health has had with the College of Nursing since 1997. The Partnership for Health has benefited greatly from student and faculty involvement in its various programs,” said John Sparks, executive director for the LCPFH “This grant will greatly expand the clinic’s capacity to meet the health care needs of Lowndes County uninsured residents.”

For more information on the LCPFH, visit http://www.lcpfh.org/.

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