Funding for Free Clinic of Rockingham County will allow medical services during daytime

The Free Clinic of Rockingham County has received money from three agencies to offer medical services during daytime hours.

“We’re still searching for a mid-level provider. We have tremendous hope and we know that it’s going to happen,” said Leslie Deaton, executive director of the Free Clinic of Rockingham County. “It’s been something that we’ve wanted for a long time, for years.”

Deaton said the Free Clinic held a pilot program from October 2007 to May that confirmed the need. The clinic provided more than 1,200 medical and dental visits operating just two evenings a week in 2007 and sees the need to increase its hours.

The Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust is providing $88,989 over a three-year period, contingent upon Annie Penn Community Trust’s funding. The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation is providing $20,000. The Annie Penn Community Trust is providing the Free Clinic $14,625 for specialty tests and procedures such as X-rays and pap smears, as well as $98,370 for three-year funding for the mid-level provider’s salary, diabetic supplies and chronic-disease medications.

“This really expands the number of people they can serve. It will reach a lot more people,” said Craig Cardwell, executive director of the Annie Penn Community Trust. In addition to having volunteer physicians two evenings a week — Tuesday and Thursday — the clinic would have a daytime provider, probably three days a week. Deaton said the provider will work 20 hours a week and have flexible hours.

The extra hours would make a big difference to longtime Free Clinic patient John Garner.

“You don’t just get sick on Tuesday and Thursday,” he said.

Deaton said the clinic asked the clients if they would prefer morning, afternoon or evening hours; more than 50 percent said they would rather come to the clinic in the morning or afternoon, instead of the evening.

“Certainly half of our current population would embrace daytime hours,” she said.

“I’d prefer coming during the day. I like to go get it done and not worry about it, so my evenings can be free,” said Susan Smith, a Free Clinic patient. For some of the patients, child-care issues prevent them from visiting a doctor in the evenings.

“Daytime would make it more convenient. It’s hard to try to come up here and see the doctor if you don’t have someone to watch the child,” said Mary Galloway. She often watches her grandson in the evenings.

“For a stay-at-home mom, it’s easier for her to come during the day when the kids are at school than bringing all of them with her (in the evenings),” said Pamela Capps, a mother and Free Clinic patient.

Deaton said the provider will see many patients who have a chronic disease, and it will help strengthen the clinic’s continuity of care.

“We think it will improve the consistency of care for their chronic disease patients,” said Cardwell. The patients will see the same care giver on each visit rather than a variety of providers that might differ in their treatment methods.

Along with treating chronic disease patients, the mid-level provider will help the clinic treat acute cases such as strep throat. A medical assistant, Martie Chaney, is already on board to provide support.

The Reynolds grant includes funding for the medical assistant. Deaton said the trust gave the Free Clinic of Rockingham County preference because it is classified as a Tier 1 county, which is defined as one of the 41 most “economically-distressed” in the state. In Rockingham, 20.4 percent of residents 18 to 64 are uninsured.

Deaton said the Annie Penn Community Trust has also been extremely supportive of the Free Clinic.

“They’ve been a fairy godmother,” she said.

Staff writer Miranda Baines can be reached at mbaines@reidsvillereview.com or 349-4331, ext. 35.