Seventy-Four Free Clinics Open Doors for Statewide Open House

Seventy-Four Free Clinics Open Doors for Statewide Open House

Second annual event spotlights free health care for uninsured and need for more

Winston-Salem, N.C. – The doors to the 74 free clinics across North Carolina are staying open late tonight from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in a combined effort to raise awareness of the critical health care needs being met for the uninsured by North Carolina’s free clinics. The statewide event coincides with national Cover the Uninsured Week.

North Carolina has the nation’s largest association of free clinics and is leading this initiative to educate communities about the importance of providing high quality health care to the uninsured and other vulnerable populations. North Carolina is currently home to 1.6 million uninsured.

“Each year, we provide a critical safety net for tens of thousands of North Carolinians,” said Mike Darrow, executive director of the North Carolina Association of Free Clinics (NCAFC). “Without free clinics, basic health care needs would be out of reach for individuals who cannot afford to pay, resulting in people going without the necessary preventive and medical care they deserve. Not to mention, without free clinics, the cost to consumers would be even higher and the burden on the emergency rooms and hospitals would be even greater.”

In 2006 alone, North Carolina’s free clinics delivered more than $67 million worth of free health care services during more than 320,000 patient visits. This was due to the efforts of 7,800 volunteer health care professionals and community volunteers donating more than 259,000 hours of service.

Free clinics provide a combination of medical and dental care, as well as prescription medications for low-income, uninsured people in 79 counties across the state. A large percentage of patients who attend free clinics do so for the management of chronic illnesses. Many free clinics offer basic diabetes and cardiovascular disease management services, including foot exams, glucose and blood pressure monitoring.

Clinics are private, nonprofit, community-based organizations that provide health care access to North Carolinians through the use of volunteers and partnerships with other health providers. Free clinics receive no federal, state or other third-party reimbursement for services.
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) Foundation is once again partnering with NCAFC for the Statewide Open House.

Earlier this month, the BCBSNC Foundation announced the extension of their partnership with NCAFC with a second five-year, $10 million grant designed to further increase the impact and expand the reach of North Carolina’s free clinic network.
“Free clinics are providing high quality and much needed care across North Carolina,” said Kathy Higgins, president of the BCBSNC Foundation. “We are committed to the work they are doing, and our ongoing partnership with the association is an investment in the health of North Carolinians, and one that is expected to continue to increase access to care across the state.”
Governor Easley delivered a proclamation that the month of April in North Carolina be known as “Cover the Uninsured” month. April 28 – May 2 is national Cover the Uninsured Week, an annual campaign of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation urging the nation’s leaders to find a solution for the more than 47 million Americans living without health insurance.
Each of the association’s 74 clinics is hosting individual events. To find a clinic location near you or to learn more about what individual clinics are doing, visit www.ncfreeclinics.org or call 336-251-1111.

Regional Free Clinic Media Contacts:
Charlotte: Nancy Hudson, executive director, Charlotte Community Health Clinic, (704) 316-6574
Kitty Hawk: Linda Saturno, executive director, Community Clinic of Dare County, (252) 261-3041
Highlands: Jerry Hermanson, executive director, Community Clinic of Highlands/Cashiers, (828) 526-1991
Raleigh: Anne Burke, executive director, Urban Ministries Open Door Clinic, (919) 256-2165

About NCAFC:
The North Carolina Association of Free Clinics, founded in 1998, is a private, nonprofit, 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization that conducts advocacy, research, public relations, resource development, training and technical assistance on behalf of its member free clinics and the people they serve. Headquartered in Winston-Salem, the Association – the largest in the nation – received its largest two grants to date for $10 million each from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, in order to expand and strengthen the free health clinic network across the state. To learn more about the work of the Association, visit www.ncfreeclinics.org or call (336) 251-1111.