At Hartford CARE Clinic—

KCC Volunteers Help Process 1,000 Cases In Eight Hours

By John Voket

Even by Kevin’s Community Center standards, February 3 was a very busy day for volunteer nurses Judy Matos, Val Mauriello, Ginger Kick, and Mary Marinaccio. The four Newtowners were among 1,200 medical volunteers who saw more than 1,000 patients in an eight-hour span as the CT CARE Clinic commenced in Hartford.

Newtown’s free health care clinic for adults is one of three Connecticut members of The National Association of Free Clinics — the only national nonprofit whose mission is solely focused on the needs of free clinics and the populations they serve. According to information on the agency’s website, when the NAFC was founded in 2001, the leaders envisioned a network of local free clinics brought together to create a voice much more powerful than could be realized on either a community or even a statewide basis.

Along with the Danbury-based AmeriCares Free Clinics and the Christian Medical Fellowship Health Clinic in Hartford, KCC sent its volunteers to lend a hand during the early February activity, which KCC founder Dr Z Michael Taweh said brought a lot of attention to the rapidly escalating need for low- and no-cost community clinics in the state.

Dr Taweh said in recent weeks, as KCC has expanded its services to accommodate about one in five patients from out-of-town, the case load on volunteers at the free clinic’s temporary site on South Main Street has hit capacity. So the intense flow of patients through the Hartford one-day clinic seemed routine for the KCC nurses.

“All of our staff, who are all volunteers, are already experiencing rapid pace at all times,” Dr Taweh said. “I would say, in fact, that we are stretched to the max given we are seeing more people from outside of Newtown — triaging patients beyond capacity at this point — as many as 30 patients in the four or five hours we are open each week.”

He also said that while the CT CARE Clinic is designed to handle a maximum load of patients whose health issues can be treated on the spot, it is the direct opposite of the way KCC tries to handle cases.

“In Hartford our nurses were providing acute care for acute problems — very different from what KCC provides — because there were no expectations to follow up,” Dr Taweh said. But at KCC, the staff becomes much like a primary health provider, carrying cases sometimes for years with diagnoses as substantial as breast cancer, diabetes, and HIV infections.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the NAFC advocates for the issues and concerns of free clinics, their volunteer workforce of doctors, dentists, nurses, therapists, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, technicians, and other health care professionals, and the patients served by free clinics in communities throughout the nation.

In a letter of recognition from NAFC executive director Nicole Lamoureux, she called the Hartford event “a true example of the wonderful human spirit and the amazing way that kindness and a smile can dramatically improve a neighbor’s day and life. Many times during the day I was told by patients how surprised they were by your kindness, friendly demeanor and care.”

Despite the more than 1,000 visitors, Ms Lamoureux observed how well the KCC volunteers worked maintaining a “patient and quality care centered” focus.

“I was impressed with your professionalism and your ability to work with everyone in that convention center,” Ms Lamoureux continued. “On this day 1,200 volunteers became one to offer an effective and efficient health care experience for the patients. As a woman who was born and raised in New London, I am proud of the citizens of my state who cared enough to take care of the least of their brothers.”

Ms Lamoureux also appealed to other one-time volunteers and others who heard about the project after the fact to get involved in their own community. “It is my hope that if you have the time you will contact and even volunteer at a local free clinic and perhaps even join a CARE Clinic again if your schedule permits.”

The association goals include:

Being an effective advocate for free clinics and the people they serve.

Monitoring and providing input on national legislative and regulatory issues affecting free clinics’ ability to provide services.

Networking with and assist state and regional free clinic associations with legislative and regulatory issues that affect their ability to provide services.

Encouraging high standards of operations and quality of care.

Educating the general public, state and federal government leaders, and health care industry leaders about free clinics and the value they contribute to the health care system.

Increasing networking among member free clinics through electronic media, resource development, and meeting opportunities.

Developing membership benefits that provide cost-saving opportunities to free clinics and leverage in-kind donations and gifts.

And developing national fundraising and resource development opportunities with the goal of being able to send new resources to the local level.

Among the NAFC corporate partners are: Home Diagnostics, Inc, Bionime USA Corporation, Invacare Supply Group, Henry Schein Medical Systems, Sanofi-aventis, AstraZeneca, and The Aidmatrix Foundation, Inc.

To learn more about the association, visit www.freeclinics.us.