November Spotlight

Spotlight: Health Partners Free Clinic

Q: Health Partners Free Clinic was founded in 1998, what was your mission when you first opened your doors? And how does that compare to your mission now 25 years later?

A: When Health Partners was founded, our mission was to provide free health care for the uninsured It has not changed much, but has expanded a bit Our current mission is to provide free, high quality health care for the uninsured, under-insured and underserved

Q: How many employees/volunteers does Health Partners have?

A:We have 10 employees, and around 20 volunteers

Q: What challenges has Health Partners had to face and overcome?

A Covid, of course, was a hard thing; it changed lives and prevented people from spending time together, which altered our volunteerism and patient volume. We are now looking for new volunteers and we are accepting new patients.

Q: What are Health Partners long-term goals?

A: It would be great if we were no longer needed; but overall, we would love to continue to execute our mission. We want to continue to provide high quality health care to those who need it and always do more as long as the need is there. I feel like we are succeeding in what we are supposed to be doing.

Q: What has been something that has been most rewarding for you while at Health Partners Free Clinic?

A: Removing barriers. When you can take someone that feels that they’re in such a difficult place (i.e., sick, run down, don’t have any revenue, and/or don’t have anything they need), and you help stabilize them and remove the barriers, so they get the care they need, it is incredibly rewarding. It’s great to see the look on their face when we can give them what they need and tell them that they don’t owe anything. I’m grateful for what we do and the joy that we give back.

Q: What elements of your clinic do you think makes you so unique and so vital to the Troy/Miami Valley community?

A: We’re free. Nobody ever gets a bill. And that is unique, you don’t get to do much in the world for free. Of course, there is a cost to care, but the patients don’t have to deal with that cost. We are able to give them really comprehensive holistic healthcare, refer them to specialists, and get labs done; the patients don’t ever get a bill. 1.We are a food bank satellite for First Place Food Bank and we have a community garden where anyone can get fresh produce during the growing season.

Q: What is something new that Health Partners has to offer?

A: This is something I am really excited about; usually, a new patient comes into the clinic in crisis mode, and we stabilize them. Now we are starting to provide preventative services. We are beginning this expansion with the launching of our new Women’s Health Clinic. So far it has been so successful, we are booked out through the end of the year. We even have a volunteer Nurse Practitioner who is certified in women’s health care. I hope this is something that we can grow and build on.

Q: Are there any needs that Health Partners has not met in the community, that you would like to serve in the future?

A: There are always needs to be met. We would like to expand our community outreach/involvement to include services that all Miami County residents can use. For example, we have an OSHIIP Certified Counselor assisting those on Medicare or approaching age 65, enroll in a Medicare policy. We also have a licensed Insurance Navigator assisting individuals to enroll in an Affordable Care Act (ACA) policy or Medicaid plan. These services are open to the public and are not restricted to our patients. We want to expand these and other services like them to the general public.

Q: What is something about Health Partners Free Clinic that you think people would be surprised to learn about?

A: There are still many people who don’t know we exist. Some would be surprised at how big the need is in our community. More than 8,000 people in our county have no health insurance whatsoever. Another 2,000 – 3,000 people are underinsured, meaning they have very high deductible policies. Others may be surprised at what it takes to run our organization. We don’t receive any government funding. Our money all comes from donations and grants. Furthermore, I’ve learned over the years that people often equate “free” with substandard. There is nothing substandard at Health Partners Free Clinic. From the building to our well-trained staff, what we do is stellar and high-quality work. We have deeply caring people working in the clinic and it shows in our work. Our clinic is a medical home for those in need, and many don’t want to leave us when it is time for them to.

If you’re interested on how you can help and get involved, or in contribute to our Year End Letter Campaign, please feel free to use the QR Code/Link to our website: https://healthpartnersclinic.org/how-to-help/

Thank you to Health Partners Free Clinic for this interview!