Residents in Meigs and western
Washington counties will have greater access to free medical
services thanks to a grant received by OU-COM’s Community Health
Programs (CHP).
The grant from the Sisters of
Saint Joseph Charitable Fund will help expand the service area
of OU-COM’s Free Medical Clinic, which currently visits Stewart
to deliver medical services such as exams, treatment and
referral free of charge to uninsured residents.
“The expanded services the
clinic will be able to offer with the grant are very
encouraging,” says Sister Jane Harrington, director of the
Sisters of Saint Joseph Charitable Fund. Part of the Sisters of
Saint Joseph’s mission is to help underserved communities and
families become healthier.
“We thought the program was
pretty creative and highly collaborative,” says Harrington.
“We are very thankful for the
Sisters of Saint Joseph giving us this grant, which allows us to
have the opportunity to help the free clinic reach people who
need the care,” says Kathy Trace, CHP and Area Health
Education Center director.
“They liked that we were
actually going out to communities where people had difficulties
accessing medical care,” Trace says. “The numbers may not be
huge, but we’re going to areas where care is needed and where
access may be a problem.”
The two-year, $50,000 grant will
also be used to provide medications immediately after a
screening. Trace explained that the grant is a tremendous help
because even though some patients may qualify for prescription
assistant programs, patients often wait a long time before
receiving the medications.
To be eligible for the free
clinic, patients must be 18 to 64 years old, have no health
insurance and meet the program’s income guidelines. For income
eligibility questions or to schedule an appointment, call (800)
844-2654 or (740) 593-2432.
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