Free clinic
Encyclopedia
A free clinic is a medical facility
offering community healthcare on a free or very low-cost basis in countries with marginal or no universal health care
. Care is generally provided in these clinics to persons who have lower or limited income and no health insurance
, including persons who are not eligible for US Medicaid
or Medicare
programs. In the US, almost all free clinics provide care for acute, non-emergent conditions. Many also provide a full range of primary care (including preventive care) and care for chronic conditions. Some free clinics include licensed pharmacies
and dental
services.
in 1967 during the summer of love
in the Haight Ashbury district. Free clinics quickly spread to other California
n cities and the rest of the United States. In 1972 a meeting was held at the Shoreham Hotel in Washington DC where clinic staff from around the country gathered and listened to speakers including Dr. Smith. At this meeting the slogan “Health Care is a Right Not a Privilege” emerged as a theme.
During the 1970s and 80’s free clinics continued to evolve and change to meet the needs of their individual communities, however some were unable to survive. Each free clinic was unique in its development and services, based on the particular needs and resources of the local community. There is a saying among free clinic organizations that if you have been to one free clinic you have been to one free clinic. The common denominator is that care is made possible through the service of volunteers, the donation of goods and community support. Funding is generally donated on the local level and there is little —if any— government funding. Some free clinics were established to provide medical services in the inner cities while others opened in the suburbs and many student-run free clinics have emerged that serve the under-served as well as provide a medical training site for students in the health professions.
While both free and community clinics provide many similar services, free clinics today are defined by the US National Association of Free Clinics http://www.freeclinics.us/AboutUs/WhatisaFreeClinic/tabid/63/Default.aspx as “private, non-profit, community based organizations that provide medical, dental, pharmaceutical and/or mental health services at little or no cost to low-income, uninsured and under insured people. They accomplish this through the use of volunteer health professionals and community volunteers, along with partnerships with other health providers.” Some free clinics rival local government health departments in size and scope of service with multi-million dollar budgets, specialized clinics and numerous locations.
and would offer services on some sort of sliding fee schedule based on the patient's ability to pay. In the early 1970s Ramparts Magazine said that in order to survive, free clinics would have to be equally active providing service as they were with the mimeograph machine
. In other words, the service provided by the doctors was of equal importance to ensuring that people have a right to health.
Clinic
A clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...
offering community healthcare on a free or very low-cost basis in countries with marginal or no universal health care
Universal health care
Universal health care is a term referring to organized health care systems built around the principle of universal coverage for all members of society, combining mechanisms for health financing and service provision.-History:...
. Care is generally provided in these clinics to persons who have lower or limited income and no health insurance
Health insurance
Health insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is...
, including persons who are not eligible for US Medicaid
Medicaid
Medicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...
or Medicare
Medicare (United States)
Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
programs. In the US, almost all free clinics provide care for acute, non-emergent conditions. Many also provide a full range of primary care (including preventive care) and care for chronic conditions. Some free clinics include licensed pharmacies
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
and dental
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
services.
History
The modern notion of a free clinic began in the 1960s in San Francisco when Dr. David Smith founded the Haight Ashbury Free ClinicsHaight Ashbury Free Clinics
The Haight Ashbury Free Clinics, Inc. is a free health care service provider serving more than 34,000 people in Northern California. The organization was founded by Dr. David E Smith in Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco, California on June 7, 1967 during the counterculture of the 1960s...
in 1967 during the summer of love
Summer of Love
The Summer of Love was a social phenomenon that occurred during the summer of 1967, when as many as 100,000 people converged on the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, creating a cultural and political rebellion...
in the Haight Ashbury district. Free clinics quickly spread to other California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n cities and the rest of the United States. In 1972 a meeting was held at the Shoreham Hotel in Washington DC where clinic staff from around the country gathered and listened to speakers including Dr. Smith. At this meeting the slogan “Health Care is a Right Not a Privilege” emerged as a theme.
During the 1970s and 80’s free clinics continued to evolve and change to meet the needs of their individual communities, however some were unable to survive. Each free clinic was unique in its development and services, based on the particular needs and resources of the local community. There is a saying among free clinic organizations that if you have been to one free clinic you have been to one free clinic. The common denominator is that care is made possible through the service of volunteers, the donation of goods and community support. Funding is generally donated on the local level and there is little —if any— government funding. Some free clinics were established to provide medical services in the inner cities while others opened in the suburbs and many student-run free clinics have emerged that serve the under-served as well as provide a medical training site for students in the health professions.
While both free and community clinics provide many similar services, free clinics today are defined by the US National Association of Free Clinics http://www.freeclinics.us/AboutUs/WhatisaFreeClinic/tabid/63/Default.aspx as “private, non-profit, community based organizations that provide medical, dental, pharmaceutical and/or mental health services at little or no cost to low-income, uninsured and under insured people. They accomplish this through the use of volunteer health professionals and community volunteers, along with partnerships with other health providers.” Some free clinics rival local government health departments in size and scope of service with multi-million dollar budgets, specialized clinics and numerous locations.
Departure of community clinics
Eventually a schism evolved among clinics where some held fast to the idea that services should be provided free of charge to the patient while others felt that the services should be paid at least in part by the patient. This second group of clinics became known as community clinicsCommunity health centers in the United States
A Community health center in the United States is a Community health center in the United States.Community Health Centers are unique in that at least 51 percent of all Governing Board Members must be patients at the CHC. Access to care is improved by decreasing the cost of care with a sliding fee...
and would offer services on some sort of sliding fee schedule based on the patient's ability to pay. In the early 1970s Ramparts Magazine said that in order to survive, free clinics would have to be equally active providing service as they were with the mimeograph machine
Mimeograph machine
The stencil duplicator or mimeograph machine is a low-cost printing press that works by forcing ink through a stencil onto paper....
. In other words, the service provided by the doctors was of equal importance to ensuring that people have a right to health.
See also
- National Association of Free ClinicsNational Association of Free ClinicsThe National Association of Free Clinics is a national non-profit association of free medical clinics in the United States, which are themselves community-based, non-profit, volunteer-supported free clinics serving the people without or with little health insurance.The national organization...
- Robert R. Frank Student-Run Free Clinic, a student-run free clinic in Detroit, MI
- The Students' Health And Welfare Centres OrganisationSHAWCOSHAWCO, the Students' Health and Welfare Centres Organisation is a student-run NGO based at the University of Cape Town, that seeks to improve the quality of life for individuals in developing communities within the Cape Metropolitan area....
, a University of Cape TownUniversity of Cape TownThe University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
student-run organisation offering free clinics in Cape TownCape TownCape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... - Berkeley Free ClinicBerkeley Free ClinicThe Berkeley Free Clinic is a nonprofit community clinic located in Berkeley, California, USA. It is operated as a worker-run collective by over a hundred volunteers. It has provided free medical and dental care since 1969. They also offer peer counseling services...
, a nonprofit clinic in California. - University of Kentucky Salvation Army ClinicUniversity of Kentucky Salvation Army ClinicThe University of Kentucky Salvation Army Clinic is a free clinic run by medical students in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1986, it is the oldest community service project run through the UK College of Medicine and one of the oldest continuously operational student-run free clinics in the USA.The...
, a student-run free clinic. - UCSD Student-Run Free Clinic ProjectUCSD Student-Run Free Clinic ProjectThe UCSD Student-Run Free Clinic Project is a non-profit, free clinic that maintains three community locations and is headquartered at the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California...
, a student-run free clinic in San Diego, California. - Tzu ChiTzu ChiThe Tzu Chi Foundation, whose name means "compassionate relief," is an international humanitarian organization and the largest non-governmental organization in the Chinese-speaking world....
, a Taiwanese-based Buddhist organization with free clinics in California. - Gary Burnstein Community Health ClinicGary Burnstein Community Health ClinicThe Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic is a free clinic in Pontiac, Michigan, United States. It provides primary free medical health and dental services to low income uninsured and underinsured families...
, a non profit, volunteer supported Free Clinic in Pontiac, Michigan.
External links
- National Association of Free Clinics
- TCSDaily Article about free clinics
- List of Free Clinics State by State Meant for STD's but they offer most services.