Central Michigan Community Hospital Free Clinic looking for volunteers

The clinic, set to open in January 2012, will provide primary care services to the approximately 18 percent of Isabella County’s population who are uninsured, according to a CMCH press release.

Nancy King, CMCH Free Clinic director, said they want CMU health professionals to volunteer.

“It is a great opportunity to develop relationships with health profession students and for students to interact with patients and get volunteer hours,” she said.

Only volunteer doctors and nurses will staff the clinic, located at 2012 E. Preston St.

King said in addition to the physicians, all health educators are welcome to volunteer at the clinic, which will only be open on Thursdays.

“The professors generally have good speaking skills and can treat patients with dignity and respect,” she said. “Other volunteers don’t necessarily need a health care background for talking to people and helping get patients’ information as they come in.”

The clinic will treat residents with the flu, chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes or hypertension and more, according to the release.

Care will not be available for sexually transmitted infection counseling and/or testing, drug testing, immunizations, prescriptions of controlled drugs/narotics, substance-abuse services or tuberculosis tests.

“We already have a really good network of services in the community for services like birth control, pregnancy testing, pre- or post-natal care and second opinions, so we don’t want to compete with them,” King said. “The Central Michigan District Health Department and the Central Michigan Pregnancy Services provide services for those in need.”

Some pharmaceutical samples will be available through the clinic, along with suggested resources for patients who need lab work, an MRI, chemotherapy or surgery.

Patients who are experiencing serious symptoms should seek immediate care at the hospital, King said.

“The free clinic is not an emergency room,” she said.

The release stated to prove eligibility at the clinic, a resident will need a driver’s license or state-issued identification card showing a current address, pay stubs, unemployment receipts or the most recent tax return.

It also stated students will need to meet the same needs as other residents as “being at 225 percent of poverty level with no insurance,” if they want care.

CMCH President and CEO Bill Lawrence said no one should have to suffer needless acute health care events.

“These efforts will lead to the day when none of our family, friends or neighbors — with insurance, Medicare or not — will lack access to health care,” Lawrence said.

Isabella Citizens for Health is also planning on opening a Federally Qualified Health Center in 12 to 18 months.

It will provide all types of primary care to residents who do not have physicians nor receive primary care when they need it. The center will be open five days a week.

The clinic and the health center are complementary, but not directly related because they are led by different organizations.