HOW WE SERVE OUR COMMUNITY

The Volunteer Clinic provides services to those who have no insurance, and live 150% below poverty level. We serve those that are caught in the middle. Our purpose is to bridge that gap and provide services to those in need until they are better able to meet their healthcare needs. Our statistics indicate that most of our patients are with us for approximately one year at which point they are able to find employment or insurance. With the high unemployment rate still effecting our community, and 23% uninsured rate, our patient visits have increased during the last year by over 20%. We are seeing approximately 1000 patient visits per month. All of our providers are volunteers, and we operate with a small paid staff of 5. This allows us to keep our cost per patient at approximately 15$. With access to affordable care, the emergency room is not utilized for non-urgent illness, which allows the ability for the ER to see the more critical patients. We also provide clinical training and volunteer opportunities for the local College nursing students and Rural Health Scholars (pre-med students).

HOW THE CLINIC WAS FOUNDED

The Washington County Medical Society, with Paul Doxey as President, organized a combined effort with other community agencies to respond to the question of how to provide affordable access to healthcare for the 18% of people in our community without health insurance or the ability to pay physician fees.

The Dixie Care and Share generously offered its small 5 room house, and the clinic occupied the kitchen and a converted exam room. It wasn't too long before we overwhelmed their small space and we began looking for a building. It is only because of the generosity of this community that the Clinic has been able to continue growing and providing services. A local family, the Boots Cox family, heard of the need and donated land to the Clinic. It was then that the local homebuilders association, SUHBA, took the project and built a 3000 square foot building with donated supplies and labor. We have been operating out of this building for the last 8 years. Recently, the increase in number of patients requiring services has led to an expansion of the current building. Thanks to SUHBA, we have doubled the square footage and are now operating with 7 medical exam rooms, 6 counseling rooms, and 2 dental suites. The cost of this expansion was covered by a $50,000 grant from Eccles, and over $200,000 in donated labor and supplies from the Homebuilders Association.