Local church offers free health clinic for poor
Clinic has helped over 3,000 patients, dispensed $4.7 million in medicine; faces shortage of doctors
Marieke van der Vaart
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: News
It's Tuesday afternoon and a line snakes gently around the corner of Cook Street.
People wrapped in heavy coats and fur-lined hats are waiting to enter the bright red door of St. Peter's Episcopal Church's free health clinic. Some have been waiting for an hour and a half in this 32-degree weather.
"It's too cold to stand out," Jill Pavka, director of the free clinic said, shaking her head at the line.
The church, red doors and swinging church sign, has about 14 families on its committed laymen's e-mail list. An annual meeting draws fewer than 20 people to the pews, and the church hasn't had a priest in several years.
But St. Peter's is making a difference in the community.
Since it opened eight years ago, the church's basement clinic has seen 3,067 patients in 16,523 visits and dispensed medicine at a retail value of $4.7 million. It requires three administrators and some 110 volunteers who see more than 50 patients every week.
From 5-6 p.m. every Tuesday afternoon, members of the community can come to the clinic to be examined and prescribed medicine. Two doctors or nurse practitioners volunteer to see them.
Every week there's a line.
In order to be seen by a doctor, patients must live in Hillsdale County, lack insurance and fit under the federal poverty income guidelines.
The clinic guarantees that it will see everyone who qualifies for care and comes in its doors between 5 and 6 p.m. Sometimes that means doctors are there until 8 or 9 p.m. The clinic has seen as many as 70 patients in a week and averages around 55.
Inside the white door, linoleum-padded hallways lead to a sitting room where tables of different shapes and sizes offer patients places to sit and wait and eat the warm meal provided by people in the community.
"Somewhere over the rainbow" gently tinkles away in the background, a musical reminder to hope for better days.
Tracy Malschoff, 42, visited the clinic in November 2009 for her chronic headaches and acid reflux syndrome.
People wrapped in heavy coats and fur-lined hats are waiting to enter the bright red door of St. Peter's Episcopal Church's free health clinic. Some have been waiting for an hour and a half in this 32-degree weather.
"It's too cold to stand out," Jill Pavka, director of the free clinic said, shaking her head at the line.
The church, red doors and swinging church sign, has about 14 families on its committed laymen's e-mail list. An annual meeting draws fewer than 20 people to the pews, and the church hasn't had a priest in several years.
But St. Peter's is making a difference in the community.
Since it opened eight years ago, the church's basement clinic has seen 3,067 patients in 16,523 visits and dispensed medicine at a retail value of $4.7 million. It requires three administrators and some 110 volunteers who see more than 50 patients every week.
From 5-6 p.m. every Tuesday afternoon, members of the community can come to the clinic to be examined and prescribed medicine. Two doctors or nurse practitioners volunteer to see them.
Every week there's a line.
In order to be seen by a doctor, patients must live in Hillsdale County, lack insurance and fit under the federal poverty income guidelines.
The clinic guarantees that it will see everyone who qualifies for care and comes in its doors between 5 and 6 p.m. Sometimes that means doctors are there until 8 or 9 p.m. The clinic has seen as many as 70 patients in a week and averages around 55.
Inside the white door, linoleum-padded hallways lead to a sitting room where tables of different shapes and sizes offer patients places to sit and wait and eat the warm meal provided by people in the community.
"Somewhere over the rainbow" gently tinkles away in the background, a musical reminder to hope for better days.
Tracy Malschoff, 42, visited the clinic in November 2009 for her chronic headaches and acid reflux syndrome.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Joy Pavelski
posted 2/05/10 @ 10:35 AM EST
Excellent amount of detail and in-person interviews. That really shines and makes this a compelling story. Great reporting skills there.
That said, I'd suggest a few sub-heds to help break up this long story (maybe those were in the print version). (Continued…)
Sirah Pelon
posted 2/11/10 @ 12:24 PM EST
Is everyone afraid to acknowledge that this is socialism?
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