November, 2013 • ChamberLink
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Non-Profit Corner Lloyd F. Moss Free Clinic celebrates 20 years of caring for the community By Karen Dulaney I remember my first evening at the Lloyd F. Moss Free Clinic. It was January 1995, and I had recently been hired as the part-time volunteer coordinator – the second paid staff position of the new nonprofit organization that had opened a year earlier. The waiting room was crowded with people who had waited for hours outside the building (the old Amy Guest Wing of the old Mary Washington Hospital) in order to be seen for a nagging acute illness that may have gone untreated for weeks. The Free Clinic was a walk-in clinic back then, and people would line up at our door every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon (sometimes bringing their lawn chairs) in order to secure one of the coveted 30 slots available. So much has changed in 20 years! Our clinic, named in honor of beloved Lloyd F. Moss, MD, was one of 29 Free Clinics in the commonwealth. During the first year of the Moss Free Clinic’s operation, 601 patients received service; 2,623 visits were achieved and 3,424 prescriptions were filled. The clinic was open only on Tuesday and Thursday evenings for patient care, projected expenses were $177,650 and there was one employee. The board of directors, a group of concerned citizens known as the Fredericksburg Area Regional Health Council, had worked to create a place where the people who need it most could go for health care. Many thought our clinic would be a temporary solution to the plight of the uninsured as there was a lot of talk about a controversial health care reform package introduced by the Clinton Administration. Twenty years later, we are in a beautiful, professional facility. The majority of our patients have multiple chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease and depression that require specialty care and many medicines. In 2013, we will treat more than 1,800 patients, requiring almost 11,000 visits, and provide 60,000 prescriptions dispensed from our state-licensed pharmacy. We are open 56 hours per week, Monday through Friday, with the tradition of our Tuesday and Thursday evening clinics still firmly in place. Dental services, which have been offered at the Moss Free Clinic since 1999, are provided several evenings each week in our state-of-the-art facility. Fulltime mental health services were added in 2009. The combined clinics employ 29 medical, pharmaceutical and dental professionals, as well as support and administrative staff, and have a combined budget of $1.8 million. The Lloyd F. Moss Free Clinic is a vital part of the fabric of our community’s healthcare system. Today, 53 Free Clinics operate in the Commonwealth, providing care to more than 75,000 people. For all the changes and growth two decades has brought, many things remain the same. Volunteers are still the cornerstone of our organization. Healthcare expenses continue to rise, especially pharmaceutical costs. Community donations sustain our operations, and the many beneficial and innovative programs we offer. And above all else, our patients receive the highest quality, compassionate care from a dedicated and amazing staff. And did I mention the controversial health care reform? Karen Dulaney is executive director of the Moss Free Clinic.
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Fredericksburg Host Lions Club – Celebrating 75 years of We Share The Fredericksburg Host Lions Club (FHLC) was chartered on Nov. 24, 1938, and has provided community service in Fredericksburg, Virginia, for 75 years. During these years, more than 500 Lions have lived the motto: “We Serve.” Lions Club International is the largest service organization in the world, with 1.35 million members in 206 countries. Lions have long been associated with blindness prevention and sight restoration. In 1925, the American author and activist, Helen Keller, who was both blind and deaf, personally challenged the International Lions, “Will you not constitute yourselves Knights of the Blind in this crusade against darkness?” FHLC is no exception, as our main focus is on sight and hearing. To help others we help: • provide eye exams, eyeglasses, and hearing aids for the needy • provide sight and hearing screening during health fairs and wellness clinics and annually screen Hugh Mercer kindergarten students • partner with Mary Washington Hospital, the Rappahannock Area Health District, and the Rappahannock Chapter of the American Diabetes Association for diabetes screening and education • sponsor the Leo Club at James Monroe High
School to foster student leadership and provide community service opportunities for youth • support other youth services including $1,000 scholarships for two James Monroe High School seniors, the children’s Christmas fund, and the Bland music contest. One hundred percent of the profits from public fund raisers are returned to community projects. Fundraisers include: • Christmas tree and White House ornament sales • annual reverse raffle and silent auction • July 4th Heritage Run • annual golf tournament In addition to these fundraisers, Fredericksburg Lions rely heavily on corporate sponsors. Recognition is given to sponsors during our events and in all FHLC publications. Dedicated members volunteer many hours toward service projects, and the Club is continually on the lookout for new projects that will meet community needs. It is truly the “fun” part of being a Lion! For our 75th anniversary celebration on Nov 23, a gala will take place at the Fredericksburg Country Club featuring music by the Fredericksburg Big Band. For those wishing to get more information about FHLC and/or membership, contact Ken Lapin at (540) 226-4551 or kenrill@earthlink.net.
Area residents go the distance for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® On Saturday, Nov. 23, St. J u d e C h i l d r e n ’s R e s e a r c h Hospital® is hosting the St. Jude Give Thanks Walk ™ in 75 communities nationwide, including Fredericksburg, to support children fighting cancer and other deadly diseases with pioneering research and exceptional care. The local St. Jude Give Thanks Walk. will take place at Pratt Park and feature family friendly activities, including face painting, music and more, from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Registration is free, but participants are forming teams and raising money online at http://fundraising. stjude.org/Fredericksburg to earn incentives. These effor ts suppor t the lifesaving mission of St. Jude. Unlike any other hospital, St. Jude relies on funding from everyday people to help support its lifesaving mission of finding cures
to save children battling cancer and other deadly diseases. Because of donations, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, because all a family should worry about is helping its child live. National Partner Teams of the walk include New York & Company, AutoTrader.com and Brooks Brothers. National Volunteer Teams include Delta Delta Delta, Epsilon Sigma Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and Iota Phi Theta. Local sponsors are Atlantic Builders, WFLS Radio, and local volunteers from Fredericksburg Tri Delta Alumnae Chapter and Kohl’s will be out supporting the event. The St. Jude Give Thanks Walk. serves as the official kick-off event for the St. Jude Thanks and Giving® campaign, which unites retail and corporate partners, as well
as celebrities, during the holidays. To receive more updated, be sure to “Like” the Mid-Atlantic St. Jude facebook page at www.facebook. com/stjudemidatlantic. Since opening more than 50 years ago, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has changed the way the world treats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The hospital has played a pivotal role in pushing U.S. pediatric cancer survival rates from 20 to 80 percent overall, and is the first and only National Cancer Institutedesignated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. It is also a leader in the research and treatment of blood disorders and infectious diseases in children. St. Jude was founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas, who believed that no child should die in the dawn of life. Join that mission by visiting stjude.org.
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