Clinics in the News

Virginia Health Care Foundation Awards Prescription Assistance Grants to Free Clinics

September 25, 2024 - VHCF.org
The Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF) has awarded more than $1.5 million in grants to 29 organizations throughout the state to help fund Medication Assistance Caseworkers (MACs), who help uninsured patients obtain free and discounted prescription medicines. Those include the Brock Hughes Medical Center, Charlottesville Free Clinic, Chesapeake Care Clinic, CrossOver Healthcare Ministry, Health Brigade, Ledwith-Lewis Free Clinic, Orange County Free Clinic, Sinclair Health Clinic, and Western Tidewater Free Clinic. “Medication assistance has always been a top priority for VHCF”, said Deborah Oswalt, VHCF’s Executive Director. “Virginians can’t manage their illnesses without the medicines to treat their chronic diseases. For those who are uninsured and unable to afford their prescriptions, the free medicines available via the brandname drug companies’ Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) are often a lifesaver.”
 

Friends in Need Health Center Wins Award

September 21, 2024 - Times News
Friends in Need Health Center, a charitable clinic dedicated to serving underinsured and uninsured residents in six Northeast Tennessee counties and three Southwest Virginia counties, has received the 2024 Resilience Award from the STRONG Accountable Care Community. The award was presented during a reception at STRONG ACC’s 2024 Regional Symposium, where the theme was Accelerating Impact Together. "Our compassionate team of health care professionals is dedicated to understanding and addressing the unique challenges faced by our patients, many of whom come from marginalized backgrounds," said Friends in Need Executive Director Betsy Cooper.
 

Piedmont Smiles Dental Event to Offer Free Care

September 22, 2024 - Fauquier Now
Piedmont Smiles, a community dental event providing free services to those in need, will return for its third year on Nov. 2 at a new location: Liberty High School in Bealeton. The event, organized by the Fauquier Free Clinic and the Virginia Dental Association Foundation’s Missions of Mercy, will offer essential dental care to residents of Fauquier, Rappahannock, Culpeper, Madison, Orange counties, and surrounding areas. The all-day pop-up clinic will provide cleanings, fillings and extractions free of charge to adults who attend. While no pre-registration is required, patients are encouraged to attend a pre-screening session on Nov. 1 to expedite care on Saturday. Registration on the day of the event will begin at 7 a.m., and patients are asked to bring a list of current medications and relevant medical history to aid their treatment.
 

CHWs Are Making an Impact in Virginia

September 18, 2024 - Virginia Mercury
CHWs are public health professionals who come from or have an unusually close understanding of the communities they serve. They help patients access important safety net services like food, housing and transportation assistance – all factors that contribute to a person’s wellbeing. In short, they support people so they can comfortably and confidently navigate health care settings by leveraging their personal experiences. Today, there are nearly 1,300 CHWs across Virginia, including approximately 290 certified CHWs who have completed substantial training supervision and education requirements. CHW Emely Baez Salazar visits with Latino community members and encourages them to access health services at Health Brigade. Her outreach is helping connect dozens of new people with comprehensive care at the free clinic. 
 

UVA Health Donates to Free Clinics

September 18, 2024 - Free Press
UVA Health has allocated nearly $265,000 in grant funding to support 42 local non-profit organizations, including several members of the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics: RxPartnership, Fauquier Free Clinic, Piedmont Regional Dental Clinic, and Orange County Free Clinic. “I am proud that every organization we have awarded a grant to demonstrates a true commitment to creating positive change in our community. We deeply appreciate the hard work and dedication of their staff and volunteers,” Donna Staton, chief operating officer of UVA Health’s community medical centers and clinics in Northern Virginia and Culpeper, said.
 

Greene Care Clinic Hosts Free Health Fair

September 15, 2025 - 29 News
The Greene Care Clinic hosted dozens of health and wellness organizations for a free health fair in Greene County for families. An opportunity to conduct simple checkups, UVA Health and Blue Ridge Health Department were among the many organizations that participated in organizing the fun and educational event. Clinic volunteer MD Amy McElroy says health care providers want their patients to know they are there to help and support them. “Whether it’s a nurse practitioner, a physician, a nurse can be your best ally in life as far as staying healthy,” McElroy said. “We’re just like you, and don’t be afraid to come talk to us. We want to help you.”
 

Augusta Regional Dental Clinic Celebrates Renovations & Expansions

September 14, 2024 - News Virginian
The Augusta Regional Dental Clinic recently celebrated a $600,000 renovation and expansion of its Fishersville location. The improvements include a fresh paint job, new flooring and four new rooms that will allow the clinic to serve up to 8,000 patients a year from Waynesboro, Staunton and Augusta County. One of the rooms is equipped with a wheelchair recliner that enables patients to remain in wheelchairs while being treated. Sophie Parson, the executive director of the clinic, said the enhancements are welcome, especially to the clinic’s five dentists and three dental hygienists. “We are receiving dozens of calls every day from local residents wishing to establish care with us. It is such a relief to be able to now say ‘yes,’” Parson said.
 

Mason & Partners Clinic Partnering to Support Afghan Survivors, Refugees, and Immigrants

September 13, 2024 - GMU.edu 
Afghan victims of combat arrive in the United States as refugees with unique health care needs. A recent grant is allowing Mason & Partners Clinic to develop health service delivery infrastructure for Afghan survivors, refugees, and immigrants impacted by combat trauma and violence. The program, titled Healing and Educating Afghans for Resiliency-Virginia (HEAR-VA), will serve Afghan refugees residing in Northern and Central Virginia, where an estimated 95% of Afghans resettled in 2022. “We are implementing a care coordination model where individuals, regardless of which HEAR-VA partner they interact with first, will receive screenings, and be connected with services that address their individualized care needs,” Rebecca Sutter, professor in the School of Nursing at George Mason University, said. "What’s especially important is this program will be built not just for, but in partnership with actual Afghan survivors of combat and other refugees who are impacted by trauma and violence."
 

VCU Senior Has Lasting Connection with Health Brigade

September 11, 2024 - VCU.edu
Noor Chouman has long had a passion for helping underserved communities, so the opportunity to work with Health Brigade in Richmond “fits perfectly with my values.” Chouman, a Virginia Commonwealth University senior who is majoring in health, physical education and exercise science in the College of Humanities and Sciences, recently completed her second internship with the clinic, which provides judgment-free care for patients who are covered by Medicaid or are uninsured. Her experiences built on what started as volunteer work at the organization once known as the Fan Free Clinic. “Being at Health Brigade really exposed me to skills that I’m going to need to learn not just in health care,” such as advocacy, leadership and teamwork, said Chouman, who wants to work in the field. “I’ve just learned how much of a positive impact I can make.” She said the highlight of her work was seeing patients smile and walk away in a better position to advocate for themselves. For more than a half-century, Health Brigade – it is Virginia’s oldest free and charitable clinic – has served low-income and uninsured individuals, often from marginalized, stigmatized and oppressed populations.
 

Bradley Free Clinic's HOPE Program Combatting Substance Abuse in New Communities

September 10, 2024 - WSLS
The Bradley Free Clinic’s Hope Initiative, which helps people with substance abuse, is expanding its services throughout Virginia. Thanks to funding from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation and in collaboration with the Virginia Assocaition of Free & Charitabloe Clinics, Bradley is currently working with three free clinics to replicate the Hope Initiative in Bristol, Petersburg and Kilmarnock. Next year, it plans on replicating the program at three other free clinics across the state.
 

Greene Health & Wellness Fun Fair this Sunday

September 9, 2024 - Daily Progress
The Greene Care Clinic will host the Greene Health & Wellness Fun Fair from 12 to 5 p.m. this coming Sunday at the Greene Commons in Stanardsville. The event is free and open to all ages. The Greene Care Clinic is a free and charitable clinic that provides health care, prescription support and mental health counseling for uninsured, adult residents of Greene County. “The Greene Health and Wellness Fun Fair focuses on health and wellness education. We have an exciting group of organizations joining us and some fun bands and activities planned,” Pam Morris, executive director of the Greene Care Clinic, told The Daily Progress.
 

GoochlandCares Has Provided Basic Needs to Community for 72 Years

September 9, 2024 - Times-Dispatch
The nonprofit organization GoochlandCares has gone through many changes in its 72 years of existence, but its core mission remains the same: to provide basic human services and health care to the Goochland County community. Currently, the group is going through another change. Executive Director Sally Graham, who has been with the nonprofit for 25 years, is retiring. As Graham departs, she credits her staff, the community and the nearly 1,000 yearly volunteers that keep the ship running. “I’m proud of what we’ve been able to build,” Graham said. “It affects so many people and helps so many people.”
 

Fauquier Free Clinic To Benefit From Rappahannock Rough Ride

August 31, 2024 - Rappahannock News
The 28th annual Rappahannock Rough Ride is a one-day multi-course bike tour ranging in distance and difficulty on Saturday, Sept. 21. The proceeds from the event benefit the Fauquier Free Clinic, which provides free health, dental and mental health care in Rappahannock and Fauquier counties. Rob Marino, executive director of Fauquier Free Clinic, said the mixed-surface ride was added this year to replace a 60-mile, mostly paved route. Marino said the new route follows the growing trend of riders wanting to bike on gravel rather than paved surface. It is also a much safer course because riders will not be sharing main roads with vehicles as much, and the ride is more scenic. 
 

Mason and Partners Clinic Helps Underserved Communities Get Their Kids Ready for School

August 22, 22024 - GMU.edu
George Mason University’s Mason and Partners (MAP) Clinic holds free clinics throughout Northern Virginia every day. This summer, two of those community-based clinics helped local elementary school students get back-to-school ready. Managed by practitioners in the College of Public Health, the clinics offer uninsured school-aged children and other underserved communities essential health services. They also allow undergraduate nursing students, including MSN Family Nurse Practitioner and Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) students, as well as graduate psychology, social work, health informatics and administration students among others, to complete Community Health Clinical requirements in a meaningful way.  
 

Nearly 500,000 Virginians in Medicaid Have Been Disenrolled

August 16, 2024 - Virginia Mercury
Of the roughly 2 million Virginians who’d been enrolled in Medicaid before the COVID-19 pandemic, over 480,000 of them have been disenrolled as of this August. Medicaid is a state and federal program that provides insurance coverage to low-income people or people with disabilities. For some people, having Medicaid or even employer-offered insurance may not be enough. For instance, Virginia’s free clinics report an uptick in patients in recent years. Some of these patients are dubbed “ALICE patients,” — or asset-limited, income-constrained, employed people. Rufus Phillips, CEO of the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, said the demographic was contributing to patient uptick even before the pandemic. “The pinch is much greater on what we used to know as the middle class,” he said. The clinics around the state have been a key point of healthcare access for some of Virginia’s poorest residents along with immigrant and refugee families. They are also a resource for people who are between jobs and insurance coverage — the “safety net to the safety net,” Phillips said.
 

High School Senior Raises Funds for Lackey Clinic & Commonshare Pharmacy

August 7, 2024 - Wavy
Urvi Jain, a rising senior at Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach, saw a need in the community and decided to do something about it. After shadowing a dermatology practice, she noticed a number of patients couldn’t afford the medications they needed to get better. So, she created Actions Through Art, a fundraiser with the sole purpose of helping patients pay for necessary treatments and medications and partnered with Lackey Clinic and Commonshare Pharmacy. She will give the money she raises to both organizations who will distribute the funds raised to those in need of dermatological care in Hampton Roads.
 

Virginia Free Clinics Hope for Funding Boost From the State

July 29, 2024 - VA Mercury
Jobs come and go, but free health clinics have been something Florence Roane-Bell could always count on. The lifelong Richmond resident has tapped into the Health Brigade — formerly known as the Fan Free Clinic — when she needed it. It was there that she was diagnosed with  fibromyalgia (after previous doctors ignored her pain, she said). It’s also where health care workers helped her tackle her pre-diabetes, high blood pressure and mental health strain. Growing up in public housing in Gilpin Court, she also didn’t feel exposed to resources or more education of the role nutrition plays in health disorders. As an adult, she’s been able to remedy pre-diabetes through nutrition education. This is another area she said the Health Brigade has been helpful for her.  “We don’t know a lot of things, because nobody ever exposed us to them, you know. As far as health care, we don’t know where to go to get free health care — so we wind up having diabetes that was never treated or high blood pressure that was never treated,” Roane-Bell explained. 

 

Fauquier Free Clinic Increases Patient Capacity

July 25, 2024 - Fauquier Times
A recent renovation at the Fauquier Free Clinic doubled the size of its dental facility from four dental chairs to eight, which allowed it to serve 36% more patients. By adding another part-time dentist, Dr. Jasmine Lee, and an oral surgeon once a month, the clinic is aiming to increase access to quality oral health even more. “Coming from an immigrant family and growing up with no health insurance, I felt a strong calling to work with underserved communities,” Lee said. “After dental school, I intentionally sought out a free clinic where I could make a difference. I have heard such great things about this clinic, and I hope to add to the team culture, enhance its expansion of services and be a positive light."
 

Healing Hands Health Receives Grant to Provide Mental Health

July 23, 2024 - Herald Courier
Healing Hands Health, located just over the state line in Bristol, received a Tennessee Department of Health grant for $613,183 that will allow them to set up a new mental health program and expand into an adjacent building. Courtney Coalson, the medical clinical coordinator at Healing Hands Health, highlighted that they applied for the Health Resiliency Program grant after identifying their patients’ growing need for mental health services. “We started realizing that there was a need for mental health services because we would have to refer them out,” Coalson said. “It was about 40% of our patients.” Helen Scott, the executive director of Healing Hands Health, highlighted that the grant funds have already allowed them to hire a full-time psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, a supervising psychiatrist, and a program evaluator.
 

Volunteering in Virginia's Free & Charitable Clinics

July 20, 2024 - VA Dental Journal
The Virginia Dental Association included an article on Volunteering in Virginia's Free & Charitable Clinics in the summer edition of the Virginia Dental Journal. Dentistry has become one of the most requested needs by patients in many of our member free clinics. 61% of clinics provide on-site dental services which is powered by close to 900 dental volunteers including dentists, oral surgeons, dental hygienists, dental assistants, etc.
 

25 Years: Wise Free Clinics Have Come A Long Way

July 20, 2024 - Herald Courier
Sister Bernie Kenny, who established the Health Wagon in Wise County and helped organize the initial Mission of Mercy event in 2000, served as a “cheerleader” at Friday’s event. She reflected on how things began. “We got off to a roaring start,” Kenny said. “We were expecting maybe 500 and we had 1,500 [patients]. It was a traffic jam. It was a one-lane road coming in and all the volunteers were two miles out behind all that. They had to leave their cars and walk in and I was here waiting for them because I slept in the Health Wagon [bus].” Kenny said she most remembers the smiling faces of people leaving after having any number of dental or medical procedures during the event.
 

Community Health Workers Help Vulnerable Populations Access Needed Resources

July 18, 2024 - Richmond Magazine
Shanteny Jackson, executive director of the Virginia Community Health Worker Association, compares community health workers to trusted neighbors. Community health workers may engage locals at civic meetings through outreach, visiting church services or simply by walking around their neighborhoods. Community health workers also focus on social determinants of health — conditions that can factor into someone’s health and well-being, such as economic stability or access to food. And because community health workers are connected to the populations that they serve, they are often better able to recognize issues that may go unseen by other care providers. “If a clinic needs to connect somebody to a food bank or to other social services, a community health worker can often be the person who acts like a case manager, almost,” explains Rufus Phillips, CEO of the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, of which Health Brigade is a member. “Our health system is highly fragmented and very specialized. Community health workers can help bridge that gap and make sure that there’s good continuity of care.” 
 

Crossroads Medical Mission is Feeling the Love

July 15, 2024 - Herald Courier
Crossroads Medical Mission is certainly feeling the love from Wallace Subaru Of Bristol's 'Share the Love' event which resulted in more than $28,000 being donated to support the clinic's mission to provide free medical service to the underserved in the community. That's nearly 3,000 individuals each year, providing more than $1.5 million in quality primary medical services at no cost to its patients. “We depend heavily on the people in our community to help us. We are so grateful for partners [who] make it possible for us to provide quality medical care to individuals in need of assistance,” shared Cindy Rockett, Executive Director.
 

Arlington Free Clinic Volunteer Recognized for Service

July 11, 2024 - Gazette Leader
The Arlington Community Foundation has announced 2024 recipients of its William T. Newman Spirit of Community Awards including Dr. Hoare, a cardiologist, who in 1994 became a founding physician of Arlington Free Clinic, where he continues to see patients who otherwise would not have access to cardiac specialized care. "Individually and collectively, these honorees represent the passion, commitment and community advocacy that define the award, and the absolute best vision of what Arlington can be," foundation officials said.
 

Free Clinic of Central Virginia Receives Grant

July 10, 2024 - AltaVista Journal
The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation has announced the recipients of its Spring 2024 competitive grants including the Free Clinic of  Central Virginia. Competitive grants ranged from $700 to $30,000 covered a wide range of needs, including food/hunger, housing, education, individuals with disabilities, animal welfare, historic preservation, our environment, and the arts. 
 

Rural Areas Face Need for Free Clinics

July 2, 2024 - Farmville Herald
The need for free clinics is growing -- not just here in Central Virginia -- but across the state. That was the message delivered by Rufus Phillips with the Virginia Association of Free & Charitable Clinics during the June meeting of the Committee on Advancing Rural and Small Town Healthcare as more people find themselves need free clinics and a majority of those patients are suffering from chronic conditions. 
 

Virginia Health Care Foudation Funds Free Clinics

July 1, 2024- VHCF.org
The Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF) has awarded more than $1.7 million in grants to 19 Virginia organizations for increasing access to behavioral health, medical and dental services for uninsured and medically underserved Virginians. Included in that funding are the Bradley Free Clinic, Augusta Regional Dental Clinic, Healing Hands Health Center, Fauquier Free Clinic, Northern Neck Middlesex Free Health Clinic, Free Clinic of Powhatan and the Health Wagon.  
 

University of Lynchburg Student Serving at Fralin Free Clinic

July 1, 2024 - Lynchburg.edu
An international student from the University of Lynchburg, Oluwatimilehin “Timmy” Mayowa ’27, a public health major from Osun State, Nigeria, is working as a community health worker at the Rescue Mission of Roanoke’s Fralin Free Clinic. The clinic, located about an hour from Lynchburg in Roanoke, Virginia, serves people who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Among other things, he helps enroll new patients and complete initial health assessments. He also works in the mission’s food pantry and goes into the field with Rescue Mission’s medical street outreach team.
 

Ride Service Helps Bradley Free Clinic Patients 

June 27, 2024 - Medium
“We’re always paying close attention to social determinants of health,” said Brian Bailey, a community health worker at the Bradley Free Clinic. “And transportation is always such a big factor. Without transportation, a person doesn’t have access to healthcare or to employment. It’s oftentimes the first thing we have to address.” Like many cities, Roanoke has limited public transportation options, and many patients have trouble accessing what public transportation is available due to logistics or cost. Sostento’s Rides for Health Equity program allowed clinic staff to order Uber rides for patients at no cost to the patient or the clinic, allowing them to get to their health appointments without having to worry about how they’d get there. The program had an immediate impact with the rate of missed appointments quickly dropping.
 

Salute to Arlington Free Clinic for 30 Years of Service

June 26, 2024 - Gazette Leader
The Arlington Free Clinic on June 24 received a resolution, approved by the General Assembly, saluting the social-safety-net provider’s 30th anniversary. Supporting about 1,400 clients from offices in the Columbia Pike neighborhood, the clinic’s services over the decades have expanded from rudimentary to comprehensive. In addition to the organization’s staff, a corps of approximately 350 volunteers, including some who have been with the organization since its start, provide services. “Our model is to be a health-care home [where] all of the needs can be taken care of in one place,” Lesley Daigle, the organization’s CEO, said at a recent presentation to a local service organization. Despite expansion of initiatives to support those with low incomes or facing other barriers to health care, free-clinic leaders estimate that between 4,000 and 7,000 Arlington residents fall through gaps in program eligibility and rely on services like they provide. “There is no foreseeable future where we would not need the Arlington Free Clinic,” Daigle said.
 

Fauquier Free Clinic Partners with Dental Assisting Program

June 25, 2024 - VDA
Laurel Ridge Community College, which currently offers 16 seats for its dental assisting program at its Middletown campus in the spring and fall, is expanding the program to Fauquier this fall. The new program, in partnership with the Fauquier Free Clinic, will start with eight seats, leaving room for expansion in the future. 
 

Bradley Free Clinic Marks 50 Years

June 20, 2024 - Cardinal News
On a Tuesday evening in October 1974, a few dedicated medical volunteers stood in anticipation as they opened the doors to welcome their first patients to the Free Clinic of the Roanoke Valley, the second free clinic in Virginia. Decades later, the clinic is still operating, but now residents know it as the Bradley Free Clinic. The first free clinic in Virginia was the Fan Free Clinic in Richmond, which opened in 1970. It served as a model for the Free Clinic of Roanoke Valley, which became the second no-cost health clinic in the state. At the time, the idea of free medical care delivered by volunteer nurses and physicians was just a budding trend across the country — and a controversial one when the idea came to the Roanoke Valley. 
 

NNMFHC Launches Free Substance use Recovery Support

June 19, 2024 - News on the Neck
The Northern Neck - Middlesex Free Health Clinic (NNMFHC), which serves the community’s uninsured and under-insured, has launched a new program to connect adults struggling with any form of addiction to treatment. Known as the HOPE Initiative, those struggling with addiction now have access to a free service to help them down the path to recovery. Services are driven by a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (PRS), a trained individual with their own lived experience with substance use. Utilizing a shared understanding of addiction, the PRS can help those in need navigate the complexities and difficulties of treatment and recovery while avoiding the stigma or marginalization often experienced in traditional healthcare settings. The PRS will also work collaboratively with the NNMFHC’s medical, dental, pharmacy and behavioral health treatment teams to provide comprehensive care that takes the needs of the whole person into account.
 

Free Clinic of Powhatan Receives Seed Grant

June 17, 2024 - VCU Health
The only safety net provider for uninsured and low-income residents in the counties of Powhatan, Amelia, Cumberland and some zip codes in Chesterfield, the majority of the Free Clinic of Powhatan's patients live with at least one chronic illness. To help patients better manage these conditions, the clinic is launching a new nutrition education and wellness program, “Eat Well, Be Well,” that will teach people how to select and prepare budget-friendly healthy meals as well as offer weekly coaching calls. This program’s launch was possible with the support from a community seed grant from VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center that helps organizations expand their reach. 
 

ADAMS Compassionate Health Care Network Partnering with VTMHI to Expand Access

June 12, 2024 - DC News Now
A pilot program designed to better connect uninsured Virginians with mental telehealth care is expanding. The Virginia Telemental Health Initiative (VTMHI), which was launched in December 2022, is working with free clinics, including ADAMS Compassionate Care Network, to expand access. “We have many patients that show mental health symptoms,” said Clinic Executive Director Sadia Ali Aden. “Most of them, because of cultural reasons, they will not share a lot of issues that impact them or impact their lives on their families.” Ali Aden believes the new program can make a positive change.
 

 

Charlottesville Free Clinic Expands Dental Care

June 11, 2024 - CBS19 News
The Charlottesville Free Clinic has expanded their dentist office and can now serve double the patients. The office is located in the same spot as the rest of their clinics on Rose Hill Drive. CEO of Development Willa Barnhardt says this allows them to provide more integrated care. She says they'll be able to double their current patient visits. Right now, they are getting 36 hundred visits a year. Currently, there are 1,200 people in the Charlottesville area who qualify for services. "Dental is actually overlooked so often. When somebody has a dental emergency, it can't be overlooked anymore and that's when we become very important to their lives," says Barnhardt.
 

Patient-Centric Phone System Debuts at the Arlington Free Clinic

June 11, 2024 - Gazette Leader
The Arlington Free Clinic (AFC) has launched a new,  patient-centered phone system designed to improve communication and streamline access to care. One of the most significant advancements with this new system is the opportunity to adopt a nurse-triage-line model.  “This is a crucial step in providing accessible, patient-centered care to our community,” said Lesley Daigle, CEO of Arlington Free Clinic. “We are committed to removing barriers, and the new system will ensure that our patients have the tools they need to manage their health, without the added stress of communication challenges.”
 

Blue Ridge Free Clinic Receives Donation

June 10, 2024 - Rocktown Now
The Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative’s Operation Round Up Committee has awarded $26,000 in grants to a dozen Valley organizations including Blue Ridge Free Clinic.
 

Lackey Clinic Offering Free Online Healthcare 24/7 For All Virginians

June 8, 2024 - WYDaily
Lackey Clinic, a free and charitable healthcare center in Yorktown, has launched Lackey Virtual Care — an online medical diagnosis and treatment service operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week offering service free of charge for all Virginians aged 18 years or older, whether they are current Lackey Clinic patients or not. “This is a huge breakthrough,” said Dr. Jill Cottel, Lackey Clinic Medical Director, “because Lackey Virtual Care gives anyone the opportunity to start the process online for a doctor’s visit anytime from anywhere in Virginia. This helps anyone with symptoms such as colds, fevers, dental pain, and more to have direct access to a provider without having to make an appointment or wait in a patient waiting room. Thanks to the support of our donors to cover our current costs, we are able to provide high-quality care free of charge — saving uninsured Virginians both time and money.”
 

Health Wagon Establishing New Pharmacy Service

June 8, 2024 - TimesNews
The new Health Wagon St. Mary's Faith Pharmacy will be located on the Wise campus on Patriot Drive, adjacent to the medical clinic. It will be the first free and charitable clinic in the area and will provide prescription medications to uninsured and underinsured people in Southwest Virginia, eastern Kentucky and parts of Tennessee. “The opening of the pharmacy will mark a monumental step forward for our region’s health and well-being,” said Health Wagon Board of Trustees Chair and physician Dr. William Handy. 
 

Mother of Mercy Free Medical Clinic Providing Critical Care

May 31, 2024 - Washington Post
Maria, a 34-year-old woman from Guatemala, had complications with her pregnancy and found the care she needed the Catholic Charities Mother of Mercy free clinic in Manassas, Virginia. The expectant mother, who had gestational diabetes, said the clinic made her “feel like I’m well taken care of.” Helping women in crisis pregnancies — and those who lack all of the resources that many take for granted — is the mission of the clinic. Volunteer doctors and nurses support the operation, and no client pays for anything, according to the Diocese of Arlington. “We get women who just aren’t able to find prenatal care services, and who didn’t qualify for Medicaid,” she said. “Most of our pregnancies are not the typical regular pregnancy, but a lot of them have comorbidities that make their pregnancy high risk.”
 

Moss Free Clinic Raises Funds During Giving Day

May 31, 2024 - Free Press
As it sought to navigate life without the funds from a 2004 capital campaign — and with rising operational expenses — the board of the Lloyd F. Moss Free Clinic held several strategy sessions to chart the best path forward. One idea that emerged from the sessions was a “giving day,” a concentrated fundraising event that similar nonprofits had successfully used to help reach their goals. The clinic’s Mayday for Health Giving Day, which was held on May 28, raised $134,000 from the community, Dulaney said. Since the event eclipsed a $100,000 match challenge goal, an anonymous donor will contribute an additional $100,000 to the clinic’s coffers. It is clear, however, that a large percentage of those who gave on May 28 were new or first-time donors, said Dulaney, “and we’re thrilled about that.” Donations are still being accepted online.​
 

Chesapeake Care Clinic Partners with VCU Dentistry to Expand Care

May 30, 2024 - VCU Dentistry
Chesapeake Care, Inc. and its dental program benefits from its partnership with the VCU School of Dentistry's Service Learning Program which allows the free clinic to greatly expand its level of care to the community while senior dental and dental hygiene students get to gain real-world experience by providing much-needed oral health care to people who might struggle to access it elsewhere.
 

St. Luke Community Clinic Receives Donation

May 30, 2024 - NV Daily
Rappahannock Electric Cooperative announced Tuesday that 10 non-profit organizations will receive portions of $106,000 collected from co-op members over the past six months. One of those organizations included the St. Luke Community Clinic which received $3,000 for supplies to the St. Luke Dental Clinic that serves low-income uninsured individuals.
 

Free Clinic of Central Virginia Restores Smiles with 3D-Printing Dentures

May 30, 2024 - WDBJ7
The Free Clinic Of Central Virginia is helping restore smiles thanks to the power of 3-D printing and a new partnership with HELP, Inc. In their dental suite, clinic dentists can pull teeth, do fillings, and support walk-in patients. Now for the first time, the clinic will be able to provide affordable dentures to patients (traditional dentures can cost thousands of dollars, but a full set from will now only cost between $300 to $400). “To be able to replace those teeth is a service I really didn’t think we’d ever be able to offer, so I’m really excited about this collaboration,” said Jennifer Webb, CEO.
 

Orange County Free Clinic Receives Donation

May 29, 2024 - MadRapp
Rappahannock Electric Cooperative announced Tuesday that 10 non-profit organizations will receive portions of $106,000 collected from co-op members over the past six months. One of those organizations included the Orange Free Clinic which received $5,000 for its Mental Health Counseling Services to provide medication and supplies to low-income patients.
 

Gloucester Mathews Care Clinic Receives Donation

May 29, 2024 - Gazette Journal
The 5 Rivers Woman’s Club donated $1,550 to the Gloucester Mathews Care Clinic during a meeting held on May 20 at Olivia’s in the Village. The funds were raised during a Games Day held by the club this spring. Shown, at left, is club co-president Jane Niethamer handing the check to Arlene Armentor, executive director of the clinic.
 

Health Wagon to Host Medical Mission in Wise

May 26, 2024 - Herald Courier
The Health Wagon and the Virginia Dental Association Foundation’s Missions of Mercy will again be providing health care for the 25th year to Wise County this summer. The free health care expo will occur at the David J. Prior Convocation Center in Wise July 19-20 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to a written statement. Both entities collaborate to provide dental, medical, and specialty care to the uninsured, under-insured, unemployed, working poor and others who cannot afford to pay. All services are free of charge. 
 

Fauquier Free Clinic Raises Most Funds for Give Local Piedmont

May 21, 2024 - Fauquier Times
Give Local Piedmont, the annual 24-hour fundraising drive facilitated by the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation, raised more than $1.1 million for nonprofits in Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison and Rappahannock counties. Of the 217 participating organizations, the Fauquier Free Clinic benefited from the most unique donors, with 210 donors giving $40,743 to the organization. “We were overwhelmed by the support and generosity of our community. Your contributions are not just donations; they are life-changing gifts for our patients,” the Fauquier Free Clinic posted on its Facebook page following the campaign. The free clinic provides comprehensive health care services, including medical, women’s health, dental and mental health services for those in need and like many free clinics across the country, especially those in rural areas, it has seen increased demand for services in recent years.
 

Faith-Based Clinics Are Stepping into a Healthcare Void

May 18, 2024 - The Atlantic
Nearly 20 million people gained health-insurance coverage between 2010 and 2016 under the Affordable Care Act. But about half of insured adults worry about affording their monthly premiums, while roughly the same number worry about affording their deductibles. At least six states don’t include dental coverage in Medicaid, and 10 still refuse to expand Medicaid to low-income adults under the ACA. Many people with addiction never get treatment. In Virginia, faith-based clinics have stepped in to offer help—food, community support, medical and dental care—to the desperate. These groups operate out of trailers and formerly abandoned buildings; they are led by pastors and nuns, reverends and imams. In many cases, they are the most trusted members of their communities, and they fill care gaps others can’t or won’t.
 

RxPartnership Celebrates 20 Years of Expanding Medication Access

May 16, 2024 - Virginia Mercury
As the cost of living rises, many low-income Virginians often have to choose between paying for vital medication or putting food on the table. This is where Rx Partnership comes in – a nonprofit that works to expand medication access across the entire state and has done so for 20 years. Since its first shipment of medication in 2004, executive director Amy Yarcich said Rx Partnership has supported over 80,000 patients across 31 free clinics. “We’re there to catch people who fall through the cracks,” Yarcich said. “We want to make sure there is that safety net and people don't go without things and find themselves in crisis in the emergency room.”
 

Loudoun Free Clinic Receives Grant

May 15, 2024 - Times-Mirror
100WomenStrong announced grants of $639,000 to 51 nonprofits that are either headquartered or providing services in Loudoun County. One of those grant recipients was the Loudoun Free Clinic who received $8800 in funding. 100WomenStrong founder and president Karen Schaufeld said she believes that it is many small acts can make a significant impact. "For our community to thrive, we all need to participate; it’s collaborative, not competitive," she said.
 

Virtual Free Clinic Helps People in Need

May 15, 2024 - News-Record
After a successful pilot phase launched in December 2022, the Virginia Telemental Health Initiative has become the Commonwealth’s first-ever statewide virtual free mental health clinic, according to a news release by VTMHI. “We’re so grateful to our partners and volunteers who took part in the program’s successful inaugural year of service. They helped to build an innovative structure that is putting mental health services within the reach of Virginians who otherwise could not afford or access it,” said Mara Servaites, Executive Director of VTMHI. “It’s the first model we know of in the U.S. with a dual mission of providing free mental health services to medically underserved populations virtually while also supporting the next generation of mental health providers with the licensure process so they can enter the workforce faster. We learned during our first year that this new concept works, and we’re now poised for growth by bringing on additional referring clinics to serve more Virginians,” Servaites said.
 

Virginia Pilot Becomes First Statewide Virtual Free Clinic for Mental Health Care

May 14, 2024 - Prince William Living
After a successful pilot phase, the Virginia Telemental Health Initiative (VTMHI), a pioneering program offering free and convenient telemental health services to eligible un- or under-insured Virginians, has become the Commonwealth’s first-ever statewide virtual free mental health clinic. As a virtual clinic, VTMHI collaborates with volunteer pre-licensed mental health providers in the process of completing licensure to provide teletherapy services to eligible patients who are referred by participating free and charitable clinics. The VTMHI model both expands access to mental health services and strengthens Virginia’s mental health workforce. The pilot originally launched in December 2022.
 

Greene Care Clinic Joins Statewide Mental Health Initiative

May 14, 2024 - CBS19
There is now a statewide virtual free clinic for mental health care -- with the Greene Care Clinic joining and the Charlottesville Free Clinic already participating. The Virginia Telemental Health Initiative offers free telemental health services to eligible uninsured or underinsured Virginians. The expansion to the first-ever statewide virtual mental health clinic comes after a successful pilot phase that was initially launched in December 2022. Because it is a virtual program, VTMHI works with volunteer pre-licensed mental health providers who are in the process of completing their licensure. These providers then can offer teletherapy services to eligible patients who are referred by participating in free and charitable clinics.
 

Crossover Healthcare Ministries CEO named RVA Power Woman

May 10, 2024 - BizSense
From a pool of hundreds of nominations, the stage was set to recognize the latest class of the region’s most noteworthy businesswomen. Richmond BizSense is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2024 RVA Power Women Awards, presented by Brown Edwards. Chosen by a panel of judges and will be honored May 9, Crossover Healthcare Ministries' CEO Julie Bilodeau was recognized in the Nonprofit Leader category. 
 

Demand on Virginia's Free Clinics Continues to Rise as Funding Cuts Loom

May 8, 2024 - Radio IQ
Virginia free clinics serve tens of thousands of patients, and many rely on state money for at least a portion of their funding. While the legislature appears poised to give those clinics less money, new numbers show the clinics are in higher demand than ever. According to new numbers from the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics demand at free clinics has increased about 11% over the same time last year. That’s in addition to the more than 20% increase from the year prior. But all that demand comes at a cost, and VAFCC CEO Rufus Phillips said clinics are already struggling from a lack of funds. Phillips said clinics asked for a $5 million increase this year but the General Assembly instead offered only $1.5 million more. Governor Glenn Youngkin then amended that down to $1 million. As both parties gear up for next week’s budget special session, a final number is expected to be sussed out.
 

Derby de Mayo Raises Funds for Gloucester Mathews Care Clinic

May 8, 2024 - Gazette Journal
The Gloucester Mathews Care Clinic hosted its spring fundraiser, “Derby de Mayo,” recently at the Abingdon Ruritan Club, Bena. Blending the flavors of Cinco de Mayo with the flamboyance and competition of the Kentucky Derby, this was the second annual gala of its kind for the clinic and raised over $65,000 for patient care at GMCC.
 

GoochlandCares is Breaking Down Barriers During Mental Health Month

May 7, 2024 - Goochland Gazette
The month of May brings an opportunity to turn our attention to an issue that affects all rural communities: mental health. GoochlandCares continues to fight the mental health barriers and stigma in Goochland County by offering critical resources for mental health evaluations, medications, and counseling. “We serve them for as long as it takes,” says Ruth Baldwin, GoochlandCares’ Licensed Mental Health Counselor. “One of the biggest things we have to overcome is the stigma that surrounds asking for help. People here have a mentality that they should take care of their own, but sometimes you need more than that if you’re going through something traumatic.” The idea that seeking help is a sign of weakness causes individuals to suffer in silence and can have devastating consequences on themselves, their families, and the community.
 

Free Clinics See Increased Demand Following Medicaid Unwinding

May 7, 2024 - WTKR3
Free clinics across Virginia are seeing more patients than in years past, with fewer volunteers to handle the volume. According to Virginia Free & Charitable Clinics (VAFCC) CEO Rufus Phillips, patient demand was up 11.5% from July 2023 to March 2024, compared to the same period the year prior. He says since the pandemic, the number of volunteers has fallen from 11,800 to 5,600. “What we are seeing already is a waitlist for patients that’s growing so I think that waitlist would be growing even further," said Phillips. Phillips says those two factors, plus Medicaid unwinding in Virginia in May of last year - leaving hundreds of thousands of people without insurance - have pushed more and more people to their clinics.
 

Mother of Mercy Free Medical Clinic Earns Gold Standard

May 7, 2024 - Catholic Diocese
Mother of Mercy clinics in Manassas and Woodbridge have each received the 2024 Gold Rating from the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) Quality Standards Program. Mother of Mercy clinics has been recognized annually by the national organization since the program began in 2019. When determining the rating, NAFC looks at various aspects, including how the clinics are run administratively, their patient care, and risk management systems. “We are so honored and gratified to receive this award,” added Alexandra Luevano, program director of the MoM clinics. “We have worked very hard to make sure that our patients never feel forgotten or lost, and this award demonstrates we are doing just that.”
 

Richmond-Area Health Clinic Volunteers Provide Care to Patients in Need

May 6, 2024 - Times-Dispatch
Throughout Virginia, free health clinics are in need of volunteers, especially with a reported 11.5% increase in patient demand and 28% increase in patient visits. In the Richmond area, these volunteers serve as a critical resource to help underserved communities receive quality health care. "We have always relied on volunteer clinicians to come and fill gaps to expand our services," said Kelsea Jeter, program manager at the Health Brigade. "Some came back (after the pandemic); some weren't able to come back." Indeed, the VAFCC reported a 50% decrease in volunteers in health clinics from 2018 to 2022. 
 

CrossOver Healthcare Minisity Volunteer is Creating Policy tht Makes Patients Smile

May 3, 2024 - Richmond.edu
A beautiful smile is not just aesthetically pleasing, it also can be a sign of good health. Kiran Saini sees evidence of this every time she volunteers at the free dental clinic operated by Crossover Healthcare Ministry. When not sterilizing instruments, she shadows the in-house public health dentists, learning about the challenges uninsured and Medicaid patients face in accessing the regular dental care so critical to overall health. “The patients are so grateful,” Saini said. “Some are almost in tears when getting dental work done.”
 

VA Free Clinics See Sharp Increase in Patient Visits

May 1, 2024 - Times Dispatch
Ill Virginians who cannot afford to go elsewhere for care are continuing to pour into a cornerstone of the state's health care safety net, free and charitable clinics report. So far in the state fiscal year 2024, patient demand is up 11.5% from the same period a year ago, according to new data from the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics. That increase comes on top of the 28% increase the clinics saw in fiscal year 2023. Much of this increased use is coming from the roughly 376,000 Virginians who have lost Medicaid coverage. The state is resuming normal eligibility and re-enrollment practices with the end of the federal emergency funds that allowed state Medicaid officials to suspend these rules during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Clinics are seeing more uninsured patients, and we expect this trend to continue as Medicaid unwinding wraps up," said Rufus Phillips, CEO with the VAFCC. 
 

Lackey Clinic Celebrates National Volunteer Week

April 28, 2024 - WY Daily
Lackey Clinic recognizied Dr. Joseph Legan for National Volunteer Week, April 21-27. Legan is an orthopedic surgeon and has practiced for 30 years. When he retired from the Air Force in 2014, he took a job with Sentara Health Systems as the Chief Medical Officer of Princess Anne Hospital and volunteered at a Free Clinic in Newport News for two years. Shortly after retiring from Sentara, he began volunteering at Lackey Clinic, and has been volunteering with Lackey Clinic for three years. Dr. Legan volunteers twice a month and has a full schedule of patient visits.The clinic noted that data from the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (VAFCC) shows volunteerism at its member health clinics has decreased by 50%, from approximately 11,600 volunteers at clinics in 2018 to only 5,800 volunteers in 2022, mirroring national nonprofit trends.
 

Loudoun Free Clinic Receives Donation from Community Foundation

April 26, 2024 - InsideNOVA
The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia has awarded $805,940 in grants to 49 local organizations including the Loudoun Free Clinic which received a $15,000 grant. The funding will support free healthcare services for adults in Loudoun County with limited access to health insurance.  Loudoun Free Clinic’s services include preventative care, sick visits, well-woman care, diagnostic services, lab work, prescription medications, nutritional counseling, some immunizations and some specialty care via volunteer providers.
 

Mother of Mercy Medical Clinic Receives Donation from UVA Health

April 25, 2025 - UVA Health
In honor of National Doctors' Day and to recognize the exceptional service of its physicians to the community, UVA Health has donated $10,000 to the Mother of Mercy Free Medical Clinic in Manassas. "We are appreciative of UVA Health and their ongoing support of our clinic and the patients we serve. The continued generosity of their doctors allows us to provide quality healthcare to the most vulnerable of our neighbors," remarked Alexandra Luevano, clinic director of the Mother of Mercy Free Medical Clinic. "This donation reflects their continued commitment to our mission and the strong partnership we have formed in supporting the health of the Prince William community." 
 

Arlington Free Clinic Receives County Award Through  Equity-Based Grant Pilot

April 25, 2024 - ARLNow
Arlington has awarded $2.4 million to nonprofits in a new equity-based grant program, the RACE to Rebuilding Trust and Community grant, designed to “support historically marginalized communities, ensuring equitable access to resources, transparency and accountability.” The Arlington Free Clinic received $150,000.00 to support the "full range of comprehensive healthcare services within AFC’s patient-centered medical home, with particular emphasis on expanding Social Determinants of Health work to improve health equity, providing critical mental health care, and reducing barriers to low-cost and accessible care.”
 

Gloucester Mathews Care Clinic Receives Donation

April 24, 2024
The Botetourt Lodge Foundation recently donated $2,500 to the Gloucester Mathews Care Clinic. This gift will benefit patient care for uninsured and underinsured adults in the community. Russell Clements, at left, and Mitchell Simpson, right, of the foundation are shown making the presentation to GMCC executive director Arlene Armentor. The foundation is a new Gloucester nonprofit dedicated to health care, housing, and youth activities in the local area. 
 

Northern Neck Middlesex Free Health Clinic Gets VHCF Visit

April 24, 2024 - Rappahannock Record
The Northern Neck-Middlesex Free Health Clinic recently welcomed the Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF) to its Dental Clinic, where a VHCF grant provided support for a dental hygienist’s salary. From left are registered dental hygienist Antonia Kimble, policy consultant Anne Barton, dental coordinator Sarah McClellan, dental assistant Alan Hayes, VHCF chief program and input officer Andrea Lancaster and staff dentist Dr. William Broas.
 

Volunteers Sought for Health Clinics Statewide in Virginia

April 22, 2024 - Henrico Citizen
According to data from the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, the number of volunteers at state clinics has decreased by 50% in the past six years. In recognition of National Volunteer Week (April 21-27), the organization is urging potential volunteers to help. The decline in volunteers at health clinics is mirrored in national data, according to a report from the Census Bureau and AmeriCorps.  According to the VAFCC, there are more than 80 open positions in Virginia, including physicians, nurses, mental health counselors, social workers, dentists, and dental hygienists. The VAFCC has created a Volunteer Opportunity Board to connect interested licensed healthcare professionals with the needs in local clinics. 
 

Cancer Survivor Launches Fundraiser for Culmore Clinic

April 18, 2024 - Annandale Today
When Pat Hynes, a two-time cancer survivor, was looking for a way to pay it forward in appreciation for the great healthcare she received, she decided to launch a fundraising campaign to support the Culmore Clinic and its patients. Hynes, a 5th grade teacher in Arlington and a former Fairfax County School Board member, received diagnoses of both breast cancer and melanoma in 2004. Now, 20 years later, Hynes is healthy and deeply appreciative of her access to high-quality healthcare and community support. In celebration of her 20th anniversary of being cancer-free, she wants to ensure other community members have similar access to screenings and opportunities for survival. Hynes’ fundraising campaign, “20k for 20 years: It’s Time to Bridge the Healthcare Access Gap,” seeks to raise $20,000 for the Culmore Clinic.
 

Post-Pandemic, Many Free Medical Clinics Face Financial Pressures

April 18, 2024 - RadioIQ
When Obamacare was approved by Congress, many people assumed it would cover those Americans who didn’t have insurance. In fact, 45 million people have coverage thanks to the Affordable Care Act, but here in Virginia several hundred thousand don’t qualify or can’t pay the premiums, deductibles and co-pays that insurance requires. “They have to weigh that against the cost of housing, which has spiked tremendously since the pandemic, the cost of transportation and food," says Rufus Phillips, CEO of the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics. Statewide, many clinics are facing financial strain, which is why the VAFCC asked the state for $5 million or enough to cover 30% of clinics’ operating costs as it had in 2016 (the last time clinics received a significant increase in funding from the state). Alas, the budget contained just $1.5 million.
 

Free Clinic of Culpeper Receives Donation from UVA Health

April 17, 2024 - UVAHealth
In honor of National Doctors' Day and to recognize the exceptional service of its physicians to the community, UVA Health has donated $10,000 to the Free Clinic of Culpeper. Located on the UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center campus, the free clinic benefits from UVA Health's collaboration, which includes providing lab work, imaging services, and specialty care to patients in need. "We are deeply appreciative of UVA Health for their ongoing support of our clinic and our patients," remarked Tammy LaGraffe, Director of the Free Clinic of Culpeper. "This donation is a testament to their commitment to our mission and their role as steadfast partners in the health and well-being of Culpeper."  
 

Blue Ridge Free Clinic Celebrates Three Years

April 17, 2024 - WHSV3
The Blue Ridge Free Clinic opened in April 2021, and since then staff and over a hundred volunteers have treated more than 2,300 people with everything from routine school physicals to conditions like diabetes and lung disease. “When we opened up three years ago, I think we had very little idea of how much we were going to be needed,” BRFC Executive Director Susan Adamson said. Accommodating cultures is a consistent theme at the clinic as many of its patients speak English as a second language or are still learning the language. To fill the gap, volunteer interpreters assist at the clinics. 
 

York Joins Western Tidewater Free Clinic

April 16, 2024 - Smithfield Times
The Western Tidewater Free Clinic has named Jessica York of Isle of Wight County as its new director of development. Executive Director Ashley Greene said, “We are thrilled to welcome Jessica to our Clinic team. We know she is committed to our mission and vision, has a heart for those we serve and will strengthen the Clinic’s community partnerships for a successful future.”  As a Clinic team member, York will support clinic staff and volunteers who provide comprehensive healthcare to about 1,500 distinct patients per year at WTFC. These patients are seen in more than 11,000 visits including medical, dental, mental health, women’s health and pharmacy appointments.
 

Free Clinic of Central Virignia Expands Dental Services

April 14, 2024 - News Advance
The clinic hopes to increase capacity and improve access to care for the community with the expansion. These new rooms will not only accommodate more patients but also serve as training grounds for aspiring dental professionals, Webb said. “We decided to add the two operatories to our exam rooms to be able to increase capacity to see patients, but we’re also dedicating those rooms to be able to do apprenticeships with dental students,” Webb said. As construction on the new exam rooms nears completion, Webb hopes the Free Clinic will make an even greater impact on the health and well-being of the community. “You really don’t know how much [dental care] impacts people’s day-to-day lives until they have either a toothache or a mouth full of rotten teeth,” she said. “You can’t go to work when you have a toothache so what we do allows people to continue to work and we’ve got programs in the future where we’re going to be able to start offering dentures for the first time which is huge.”
 

Gloucester Mathews Care Clinic Receives Grant

April 10, 2024 - Gazette-Journal
The Gloucester Community Foundation will provide $136,676 in 2024 Community Impact grants to 24 organizations including the Gloucester Mathews Care Clinic. Made possible by donor funds, Community Impact grants support local nonprofits whose missions align with the foundation’s four focus areas: community vibrancy, economic prosperity, educational success, and health and wellness.
 

Bradley Free Clinic's Caitlin Sharkey Driving Infection Control Efforts

April 3, 2024 - VT.EDU
As health administrator at the Bradley Free Clinic in Roanoke, Caitlin Sharkey, who earned her Master of Public Health in 2023 from Virginia Tech, puts her education into practice every day — literally. What started as an assignment has become part of the clinic’s standard operating procedure for infection control. "Throughout the clinic, this plan is the standard for infection prevention and control of bloodborne and airborne pathogens,” Sharkey said. “In the population we serve, we have many patients who have hepatitis C and HIV, so it's very important to not only have the proper precautions in place to prevent infection, but also to know what to do in case there is an exposure.”
 

GoochlandCares is Ensuring Neighbors Have Access to Food

March 28, 2024 - CBS6
A key ingredient to overall health is nutrition, and on the final days of National Nutrition Month — a campaign to better educate everyone about making healthy eating decisions — GoochlandCares is helping to improve the lives of those living on low income. A nonprofit free clinic providing wrap-around, holistic services through 12 different programs, including a community food bank, GoochlandCares served more than 2,000 clients, including several hundred children, who utilized the food bank program to access 534,014 meals worth of food. "We're back over 300 families per week. We're finding that families who maybe in the past came once or twice a month are coming every week. Inflation, food stamps, all those trends really impact the need," shares Sally Graham, a nurse practitioner by profession and current clinic executive director.
 

Free Health Clinics Expect to Receive First Funding Increase Since 2016

March 28, 2024 - Virginian-Pilot
The network of Virginia free clinics may receive its largest funding increase since 2016 to help with a growing need for services, although the bump was less than originally requested. The statewide Virginia Association of Free Clinics & Charitablie, or VAFCC, offers primary care health services in addition to counseling, dental care and syringe exchange. The clinics help patients with other barriers they may face, including a transportation assistance program and food bank. The House and Senate approved earlier in March a $1.5 million annual increase over the next two years, starting in July. That brings nearly $16.6 million in total funding for the clinic network. Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, and Del. Betsy Carr, D-Richmond, originally submitted requests to their respective chambers to increase annual funding by $5 million.
 

80% of Free Clinics are Experiencing an Increase in Demand

March 26, 2024 - WAVY
The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics' 2024 Data Report shows that 80% of free clinics experienced an increase in patient demand in 2023, a steady increase from 73% in 2022 and 68% in 2021. These numbers align with the removal of Medicaid expansion, which left millions without coverage. Free and charitable clinics are the safety net for those who slip through the coverage gap, with 82% of their patient populations being uninsured nationwide. As the need for clinic services increases, so does the need for volunteers. 190,000 individuals volunteered at free and charitable clinics and pharmacies across the country last year, but the need for specialized care is only increasing. 
 

Charlottesville Free Clinic Receives $50K Donation

March 26, 2024 - 29News
Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital is donating $50,000 to the Charlottesville Free Clinic. The donation will help provide health care for patients who cannot afford it. The Charlottesville Free Clinic provides care for individuals who don’t qualify for Medicaid and cannot afford private health insurance. The money will also assist the construction of a dental office in the clinic’s building. “When we have donations from Sentara Martha Jefferson and other organizations, we can help support those people that are trying to get to that next step in their life,” Willa Barnhardt with Charlottesville Free Clinic said, “We can provide them the health care they need to get there.” The new dental space will increase the number of patients the clinic sees by 2,300 in its first year.
 

ODU Student Helps Translate Vital Medical Information for Spanish Speakers

March 24, 2024 - 3WTKR
Cydney DeWees, a senior at Old Dominion University, is volunteering her time at the Chesapeake Care Clinic helping to translate much-needed medical information into Spanish for residents who struggle to speak English. Not only is it helping students get more comfortable with the language, but it's also helping residents feel more comfortable with something a lot of people fear. Going to the Doctor. “It’s really rewarding. You see people come here for the first time who are nervous to come because they don’t know if they’ll be fully understood or not. And they feel so much more calm and at peace," she shared.
 

Governor Donates Quarterly Salary to Bradley Free Clinic

March 22, 2024 - Virginia.gov
Governor Glenn Youngkin and First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin yesterday donated a portion of the Governor’s quarterly salary to Roanoke-based nonprofit, the Bradley Free Clinic’s HOPE initiative to support providing quality care, education and support services to at-risk community members and in particular, those battling addiction and substance use disorder and/or at higher risk of fentanyl poisoning. I am proud to support the Bradley Free Clinic’s HOPE Initiative for providing spaces and resources for hope, health and healing in the beloved Roanoke region," shared the Governor.  
 

Chesapeake Care Clinic Offering Free Food Pantry for Eligible Patients

March 22, 2024 - 13News
"Our goal is to improve the health of our patients," said Chesapeake Care Clinic Executive Director Dourina Petersen. Her organization offers free medical specialty care, dental services, education, and prescription assistance. By surveying patients about their social determinants of health, Petersen said they identified some of the greatest issues. "The biggest ones are usually transportation or food, and with the cost of food going up, it's become more difficult for our patients to afford food," said Petersen. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, a free food pantry or "food pharmacy" in the middle of the clinic's waiting area has only grown. "In January, the food bank approached us about getting a refrigerator, and then we were able to partner with a local grocery store to get food donated to us every week," said Petersen. "We were able to go from just shelf-stable food to meats, dairy, a lot more produce."
 

GoochlandCares Working to Warm Hearts and Homes

March 22, 2024 - CBS6
"Many of us can just turn on the thermostat and enjoy the comfort," explained Goochland Rotary president Vernon Fleming.. "Others have to get wood, and it's very difficult to do on a limited budget to have to buy it." His organizations works with GoochlandCares to connect struggling community members who use firewood as their primary heating source to the fuel they need to heat their homes. "We try to market it out to the community to say, hey, we've got this kind of assistance available if you need it," explained Sally Graham, executive director of GoochlandCares. "In a rural county, I think a lot of it's about trust, and a lot of its word of mouth."
 

Bradley Free Clinic Battles Food Insecurity

March 22, 2024 - WDBL7
The Bradley Free Clinic has been providing healthcares servcies to uninsured and underinsured patients for 50 years, but they are also addressing needs like housing and transportation in addition to food insecurity. Families in Southwest Virginia who are battling food insecurity, can rely on the Bradley Free Clinic help them gain access to nutritious food. Brian Bailey, Community Health Worker and Outreach Worker explaines the importance of nutriution in regards to overall health, the barriers that prevent people from making healthy food choices, and how clinic is able to help by screening patients for social determinants of health.
 

Piedmont Regional Dental Clinic Implementing Innovative Tech to Expand Oral Health Services

March 20, 2024 - Culpeper Times
With support from the Dental Delta of Virginia Foundation, Piedmont Regional Dental Clinic (PRDC) will begin providing digital dentistry, expanding treatment options to include crowns and personalized nightguards created with greater precision and efficiency. Previously patients were referred to other dental practices for these services. However, for many patients, following through with the referral wasn’t realistic due to the additional time required away from work, travel out of the area and cost. "We are very optimistic that this will help us serve our patients better. Access to this innovative technology means that our patients will have fewer appointments which, in turn, means less time away from work and less travel expense,” pointed out Shari Landry, president of the Culpeper Wellness Foundation, which manages the clinic. “Our patients often have significant dental health needs but can’t afford care at a private practice or have trouble finding places that take their insurance. We are tremendously grateful to the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation for their generosity in awarding the grant. The equipment is truly a game changer for our patients.”
 

Founder of the Free Clinic of Powhatan is a Remarkable Woman

March 19, 2024 - ABC8
Connie Moslow has dedicated her life to volunteering. At 70 years old, she founded the Free Clinic of Powhatan and held the position of Executive Director for 15 years. “Why did I do it? Because it needed to be done,” Moslow said. “I wish I would have started it sooner. I thought, ‘Okay, Powhatan needs a clinic, let’s see who’s going to do something about it.’ Well, I waited and waited … nobody did anything.” A volunteer-operated clinic that offers free medical, dental and mental health care to low-income residents under the poverty level, the Free Clinic of Powhatan grew exponentially over the years. 
 

Moss Free Clinic Exists to Provide Care to Those Who Can't Afford it, What Happens if it Can't Afford to Provide Care?

March 15, 2024 - Free Press
The symptoms of the Moss Free Clinic’s worsening condition are getting harder to ignore. On a recent Tuesday, a dozen office chairs and filing cabinets spilled out into a first-floor hallway as the clinic rushes to vacate an upstairs space — used for screening patients — that it can no longer afford. Then, there are the bills piled high on Executive Director Karen Dulaney’s desk, many of them previously unforeseen expenses adding up to nearly $200,000 a year. With funds from a 2004 capital campaign that raised $10 million fully drained and the clinic’s longtime partnership with Mary Washington Healthcare strained following a rebuffed takeover bid last year, the prognosis for the clinic, which serves exclusively low-income patients, appears grim. “A few months, probably,” Dulaney said of how long Moss can continue to operate under its current circumstances. “We can certainly cut back our services and cut back our staff to a level we can afford, but it will be a significant reduction in care for our patients, which is what we’re trying to avoid.”  
 

Building the Bridge to Healthcare with the Blue Ridge Free Clinic

March 13, 2024 - WMRA
The Blue Ridge Free Clinic has been providing free healthcare services to Rockingham County residents since 2020 with a model, "based on letting the community support the free clinic so that we can adapt and adjust to whatever the needs of the community are," shares clinic director Susan Adamson. When it first opened, the clinic expected as many as 400 patients, but ended up seeing well over 2,000 patients. And the demographics are changing as a result of refugee resettlements in the area. "200 Afghanis were brought to the Harrisonburg area, many of them were sick," shares Adamson, so the clinic stepped up to provide their care. 
 

Mel Leaman Free Clinic Giving Hope to the Homeless

March 7, 2024 - BNN
In Marion, Virginia, a beacon of hope shines for the homeless community through the wheels of a mobile health clinic. This innovative initiative, spearheaded by the Mel Leaman Free Clinic in partnership with Antioch Greater Love Ministries, is making significant strides in providing crucial healthcare services to those living on the streets or in precarious housing situations. The mobile unit is fully equipped to provide primary healthcare services, from basic exams to specialized consultations, all free of charge.
 

Healing Hands Health Providing Support through Community Health Workers 

March 6, 2024 - WCYB5
Community Health Manager Breanna Burke says the help they offer is extensive. "I like to think of community health workers as the link between community and health care, we are well versed in our community, the resources it has to offer and have our own lived experiences." On average Burke and two other health workers help between 40 to 60 clients at a time at Healing Hands Health, an organization that provides affordable care for lower income community members.
 

Saving Lives: A Patient's Testament to the Fauquier Free Clinic

March 6, 2024 - Fauquier Times
Our physical health is a very delicate thing — when we have it, we rarely think about it, but it can consume our lives when things go wrong. Debbie Rowland, a 62-year-old New Jersey native who moved to Virginia in 2013, recently went through several health crises, and found a caring, professional team of health experts in the Fauquier Free Clinic. “The quality of care at the clinic is truly unmatched,” says Debbie. “It’s not about just treating you when you’re sick; it's about saving lives. I certainly wouldn’t be here to tell my story without their intervention and quick diagnosis."

Debbie's story is just one example of the crucial role free clinics play in communities, providing important medical care, screening services, and a protective support system that empowers patients in their darkest times. “The clinic’s support and compassion have made me feel deeply cared for,” she shared. “They have been by my side every step of the way," says Debbie. “They didn’t just save my life — they gave me a family and a future.”
 

Virginia Free Clinics Fear Impending Legislative Budget Cuts

March 5, 2024 - WVTF
Virginia’s free clinics, some in rural parts of the state, stepped up during the pandemic. And many got one-time federal funding for their service. But as that federal money dries up and state revenue projections make the fight for Virginia dollars even harder, many clinics are fearing the worst. With just a few days left in the legislative session, elected officials are working to form a compromise budget, and among those impacted are the state’s free clinics. Rufus Phillips, CEO of Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, represents 68 such operations that serve about 75,000 low-income Virginians. He said between an uptick in services during the pandemic and post-pandemic inflation, the free clinic system needs the legislature’s help. “While it is a small fraction of the overall state budget, it would make an outsized impact on the health and wellbeing of uninsured Virginians,” Phillips said.
 

Rising Costs & Patient Demand Threaten a Critical Safety Net - Free Clinics

March 2, 2024 - News & Advance
Free and charitable clinics are vital to the health of our community and economy. But rising health care costs coupled with stagnant funding and increased patient demand have put their sustainability at risk. It’s a concerning situation for Virginia’s health care safety net, one that lawmakers can remedy in the state budget.
 

Sinclair Health Clinic Hosts Awards to Honor Co-Founder

February 27, 2024 - Winchester Star
The Sinclair Health Clinic hosted its first Terry Awards ceremony in February to pay homage to the clinic’s cofounder, Terry Sinclair, who passed away on Nov. 26, 2021, at the age of 79. Recognition awards were presented to numerous outstanding volunteers, including Dr. Yekaterina Rankin; Dr. Shyama Rosenfeld, who is the clinic’s volunteer medical director; pharmacy volunteers Debbie Lewis and Steve Zuckerman, who have offered more than 50 years of combined service; and community engagement volunteers Virginia McClure, Debra Gerace, Georgia Yeatras and Saul Barbosa. 
 

Western Tidewater Free Clinic Expands Dental Services

February 27, 2024 - 13News
An expanded dental suite inside Western Tidewater Free Clinic in Suffolk is breaking down a long patient waitlist. “We went from two dental chairs to four," said Ashley Greene, the executive director of the clinic. "That gives us the capacity to serve as many as 200 patients more in the first year.” The clinic currently serves about 700 dental patients per year. Greene said since opening the space back in December, they’ve already seen a 9% increase in patients served compared to this timeframe last year.
 

UT Dental Students Gain Experience at Health Hands Health

February 21, 2024 - WCYB5
For 10 years, dental students from the University of Tennessee traveled to Bristol to get hands on learning experience and better prepare for their future. Every two weeks a new set of students arrive to help the Healing Hands Health provide a variety of treatments such as fillings, extractions, and root canals while also gaining real life experience. "We have hired three different students who have rotated through our clinic and we're looking for a fourth student," said Healing Hands Director Helen Scott, "that really helps our community when we can bring new dentists to our area." 
 

New Arlington Free Clinic CEO Upbeat About Future

February 21, 2024 - Gazette Leader
As a nurse and administrator at VHC Health (Virginia Hospital Center) for the past decade, Lesley Daigle was well-versed in the vital role played by the Arlington Free Clinic. And as the clinic’s CEO since the start of the year, she is quickly gaining an even deeper understanding of its importance. “I knew [the free clinic] was remarkable, but I had no idea how much until I started,” Daigle said. Despite expansion of initiatives to support those with low incomes or facing other barriers to health care, free-clinic leaders estimate that between 4,000 and 7,000 Arlington residents fall through gaps in program eligibility and rely on services like they provide. “There is no foreseeable future where we would not need the Arlington Free Clinic,” Daigle said.
 

Financial Changes Threaten Future of Moss Free Clinic

February 18, 2024 - Free Lance-Star
The longtime partnership between the Lloyd F. Moss Free Clinic and Mary Washington Healthcare is deteriorating, threatening the future of the clinic that’s served the area’s uninsured for more than 30 years and provided more than $325 million in free services. Lloyd Moss Jr. said what’s happened is heartbreaking, considering everything the clinic has accomplished in three decades. It’s served more than 16,000 patients and dispensed more than 880,000 prescriptions, both locally and in other free clinics that serve more than 20 cities in Virginia. “In spite of their statements of supporting the free clinic any way they could, (MWHC) has been taking away, piece by piece by piece, everything they could take away from us,” Moss said. “I think it’s kind of a statement of the present health care situation. We’re losing sight of what all people in health care are designed to do, to take care of everybody who needs the care.”
 

More State Funding for Clinics is Critical to Maintaining a Healthy Virginia

February 16, 2024 - WTVR3
Dr. Waller is in charge of leading care for an influx of patients Health Brigade and other free clinics across Virginia haven't seen in recent years. “I think across the board, we’ve seen about a 30% increase in requests for services," Waller said. The 50 clinics that are part of the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics served 75,000 patients in 2022, a 19% increase over 2021 when 63,000 patients received care.

"Feedback from our members shows that the demand for free and charitable clinics is rapidly growing due to changes in Medicaid coverage and rising living costs,” said Rufus Phillips, VAFCC CEO. “Free clinics have never been more vital to the health of communities as they work to provide quality and compassionate care to patients. While clinics will never waver in their support of Virginians, these nonprofits need the support of the community more than ever.” 
 

A Health Care Lifesaver

February 16, 2024 - Times-Dispatch
Virginia’s 60-plus free clinics provide care to some 75,000 people a year, amounting to some $114 million in 2022. It is a distinctive kind of care, too: focused on all the needs a patient might have – including some that don’t always come to mind when people feel they need to see a doctor. It is paying attention, maybe even more than being able to offer free access to care, that is the key to what free clinics provide, said Karen Legato, Health Brigade’s executive director. “We look at the whole person … it’s not the transactional model,” she said.

"Virginia’s free and charitable clinics are the backbone of our Commonwealth’s health care safety net," Delegate Betsy Carr said. "With Medicaid unwinding and the end of pandemic relief as well as increased economic pressures disproportionately affecting underserved communities, the need to sustain free clinics has never been greater." Budget amendments proposed by Carr and Favola call for a $5 million a year bump in state funds for the clinics, for an annual total of $10.3 million, and would offer some relief.
 

Video: Blue Ridge Free Clinic Cares

February 13, 2024 - WHSV
Since its opening in 2021, the Blue Ridge Free Clinic (BRFC) has been committed to providing compassionate no-barrier healthcare services to thousands of people in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. BRFC serves patients of all ages, performing physicals and checkups for children and adults, with a focus on internal medicine. Staff said the organization’s goal is to not only help patients become healthier, but thriving in their community. “We take care of people with diabetes or hypertension, lung diseases, or mental health issues. But we also do gynecologic care for women, health care maintenance for women,” executive director and family nurse practitioner Susan Adamson said. Adamson said the clinic is part of the area’s ‘healthcare safety net’, which focuses on community members with unmet medical needs. As a bridge to health, BRFC typically sees patients anywhere between 3 to 12 months, all while helping to connect them with providers in the area for future care.
 

Purpose Medical Outreach Expands Services for Uninsured

February 13, 2024 - Daily Press
 A Christian-based mobile medical care service is expanding its presence in New Kent and Charles City counties, bringing free primary care to the low-income and uninsured. Founded in 2022, Purpose Medical Outreach (PMO) partners with New Kent Christian Center to provide free basic medical services as well as care for chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma, hypertension and some acute care needs. PMO offers a wide range of medical services in addition to long-term primary care, such as preventative screenings and health education programs. For Cara Hoover, PMO’s health care director and a full-time nurse practitioner, it was important that PMO offer a patient-centered approach and not only diagnose health conditions but also treat the patient long term and holistically.
 

CrossOver Healthcare Ministries Expands Pharmacy

February 9, 2024 - Henrico Citizen 
Recently, CrossOver celebrated the opening of the Community Pharmacy at its Henrico Clinic. “We run our pharmacy 100 percent with volunteers,” said CrossOver CEO Julie Bilodeau and Leo Ross, who performed the ribbon-cutting, ”has been volunteering as our pharmacist in charge for 19 years.” The larger pharmacy will double CrossOver’s capacity to provide prescription drugs to the low-income, uninsured, and medically underserved local residents who patronize the clinic. Previously located at the Richmond Clinic on Cowardin Avenue, the pharmacy has moved to a newly renovated and expanded space – thanks to a $150,000 donation from Molina Healthcare Virginia – at CrossOver’s Quioccasin Road site. It also features a medications counseling room, which can be used by pharmacists to review instructions and dosage with patients.
 

Moss Free Clinic Faces Financial Cliff

February 9, 2024 - FXBG Advance
The Lloyd Moss Free Clinic’s ability to continue providing services to Fredericksburg’s low-income, uninsured and underinsured population is threatened by changes in its relationship with Mary Washington Healthcare (MWHC). Though they are and have always been separate entities, the clinic and Mary Washington Healthcare have been associated through a community health services agreement, which was established in 2004. Now, Mary Washington Healthcare is pulling in-kind support and charging Moss 'additional rent.' Clinic may need to raise $750,000 per year.
 

Patient Demand Increasing at Virginia's Free Clinics

February 7, 2024 - WDBJ
Free clinics across the state are experiencing a significant increase in patient demand for healthcare services. Bradley Free Clinic in Roanoke is struggling to keep up with the demand. “Between dental and behavioral health, those are our two highest increases in services. 110% increase in behavioral health services, 150% increase in dental services, and even our medical services we’re seeing a 70% increase in the need for our medical services,” said Bradley Free Clinic Executive Director Janine Underwood.

Operating costs are doubling in expenses alongside rising patient demand, making running clinics more costly than ever. The VAFCC is advocating for additional state funding for free clinics during the current session of the General Assembly. “The state funding will help us alleviate some of the stress we have. I think supporting free clinics is the right thing to do.” said Underwood.
 

Virginia Free Clinics See Dramatic Spike in Patients Needing Help

February 7, 2024 - NBC12
The Free Clinic of Powhatan is seeing more and more people show up and hoping to get an appointment. The rural clinic serves a four-county region, and saw a 500% increase in people seeking care from them. It offers medical, dental and mental health care services. Each week, about 20 new people start the application process to become a patient. “Most of our patients are working. They’re not able to get healthcare from their employment situation. They might have different hourly jobs and they just don’t have insurance,” said Executive Director Elizabeth Ream.
 

Chesapeake Care Clinic Partners with ODU for Student Translation

February 7, 2024 - ODU
A Spanish-speaking patient with limited fluency in English came back to the Chesapeake Care Clinic one morning last month to find out what was causing her severe stomachaches. The diagnosis got technical, but she had no trouble understanding it, thanks to Old Dominion University student Cydney DeWees, a Spanish major, who translated back and forth between doctor and patient, not missing a beat. “It’s a real opportunity to strengthen my Spanish and I thought it would also be a great opportunity to learn about different cultures and meet a lot of people who speak Spanish as a first language. The patients remember who you are and how you’ve helped them. You can make a difference for them,” she shared.

The addition of the student interpreters has improved healthcare outcomes, said Dourina Petersen, executive director of the clinic. The percentage of Spanish-speaking patients rose from 8% in 2021 to 44% last year, she said, and the overall number of patients also increased. “Spanish interpreters bridge the communication and cultural gap, creating a place where patients feel respected and understood, which ultimately improves the quality of healthcare delivered,” Petersen said.
 

Amid Shortage of Physicians, Nurse Practitioners Can Help

February 7, 2024 - Times-Dispatch
Last year, after a temporary change in Virginia’s laws during the COVID-19 public health emergency, I was able to open a free clinic to serve patients from Charles City, King and Queen, King William and New Kent counties. Unfortunately, if Virginia’s legislators don’t pass House Bills 971 and 983 during this General Assembly session, nurse practitioners (NPs) like myself won’t be able to provide care to some of the commonwealth’s most vulnerable populations. Although there were no negative repercussions during those years, in 2022, Virginia’s legislators changed the requirement back to five years, making Virginia the most restrictive state for establishing an NP practice. Although there were no negative repercussions during those years, in 2022, Virginia’s legislators changed the requirement back to five years, making Virginia the most restrictive state for establishing an NP practice.

Nurse practitioners are advanced-practice registered nurses who have master’s degrees, and often doctorates, and extensive clinical training in the diagnosis and management of common and complex medical conditions. A part of our country’s health care system since 1965, NPs can diagnose and treat acute and chronic conditions; order, perform and interpret diagnostic tests; and prescribe medications and other treatments. Although there have been many learning curves in operating a free clinic, such as obtaining funding and marketing to the vulnerable populations we aim to serve, I am fully prepared to diagnose and treat the patients who walk through our doors. While I would welcome a physician to serve alongside me, asserting that an NP with two years of full-time experience can’t provide high-quality, evidence-based and compassionate care to patients is simply not true and a disservice to Virginians in need.
 

Health Wagon Participates in Give Kids a Smile Day

February 6, 2024 - TimesNews
Six dental assistant students from Mountain Empire Community College joined a dental team from The Health Wagon to celebrate national Give Kids a Smile Day with free dental screenings, fluoride treatments and dental hygiene treat bags for all 600 students at Weise Primary School. The Wise Primary event is the first observation of Give Kids a Smile Day in far Southwest Virginia, said Dr. Emily Bowen, MECC’s dental assistant program director. “Give Kids a Smile Day is a national initiative and a good development for public health,” said Bowen. “Our hope is that this really sets a foundation for good dental health. We want to reinforce the basics of brushing, visiting your dentist regularly and getting the younger pre-K students in that mindset.” February is Children’s Dental Health Month, and Tuesday’s event allowed screening to identify needs and get the kids who need treatment beyond normal preventive services scheduled for appointments at The Health Wagon’s Wise dental clinic or other dental facilities.
 

Ohlen R. Wilson Health Center in Galax Opens Dental Clinic

February 6, 2024 - Carroll News

Ohlen R. Health Center, formerly the Free Clinic of Twin Counties, has opened a new dental clinic that will provide preventative dental care for uninsured and underinsured patients starting February 6. The new trailer is approximately 300 square feet and has two dental chairs, allowing the clinic to provide cleanings, x-rays, fillings, extractions and other preventative services. Five volunteer dentists will see patients, allowing the clinic to serve at least 60 people a month. “Many local patients end up in the emergency room for oral health issues,” said Melissa Munton, Executive Director. “Increasing access to preventative and low-cost dental care for the community will help a lot of people.”
 

Grant Supports Health Brigade with Cancer Education

February 5, 2024 - VCU Health
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center continues to grow partnerships to improve the health of Virginians through supporting community-based organizations to increase outreach, engagement and research opportunities to improve cancer treatment and patient health. They recent awarded a seed grant to the Health Brigade and Hitting Cancer Below the Belt (HCB2) to create educational resources in both English and Spanish to better assist in patient educating and provider training to raise screening rates among patients 45 years of age and older. Health Brigade as partnered with HCB2 since 2014 and is one partner in their colorectal cancer screening programs to medical sites across the Commonwealth.
 

Proposed Budget Amendment Would Add $5M For Virginia Clinics

February 3, 2024 - 29News
Many Virginians are turning to free clinics for their primary care needs. The Charlottesville Free Clinic met with lawmakers to propose a budget amendment that would increase state funding for free clinics across the state. The budget amendment would add $5M a year in state funding for free clinics that are members of the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics. “Our goal is to increase access to care,” Interim Director Willa Barnhardt said. Barnhardt says everyone deserves quality primary care. “We don’t want anyone to just not go to the doctor or avoid going to the doctor because of the cost. We’ve continued to see an enormous increase in the demand in our community,” Barnhardt said. That is why she met with state lawmakers to show just how critical a role free clinics play.

One of those lawmakers is Delegate Katrina Callsen, who represents the 54th District. “They’re seeing a ton of patients, they’re providing primary care, basically for those who are uninsured or underinsured,” Callsen said, “When a lot of people who wouldn’t have access to these services, this is the only way they’re getting them in Charlottesville. And there’s still an identified need. Even beyond that, there’s legislative changes that need to happen so that they can serve more in our community.” 
 

Representative of Sen. Kaine Meet with Madison Free Clinic

February 3, 2024 - The MadRapp Recorder
A representative from U.S. Senator Tim Kaine's (D-Virginia) office visited downtown Madison this month with a stop at the Madison Free Clinic. Oriella Mejia, who serves as the senator's northeastern regional director based in Fredericksburg, attended as part of a fact-finding mission to see how federal dollars are used in rural Virginia.

Free Clinic Executive Director Jana Jackson thanked Mejia and Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District (RRHD) Director Olugbenga O. Obasanjo, MD, MPH, for their visit where they learned how community members worked together during the pandemic and how those relationships continue today. Jackson presented a timeline dating pre-pandemic to the present, including how her non-profit agency provided COVID testing for all county residents during the pandemic and continues free testing not only for the newer strains of the virus but it includes Type A and B flues. Ojiera expressed shock the federal rural internet initiatives haven't been fully implemented throughout the Rappahannock-Rapidan region resulting in issues with tele-health due to poor internet up conductivity. Ojiera will continue working with Jackson and the free clinic on collaborative programs and possible grant opportunities.
 

Healing Hands Celebrates Transformative Dental Care

February 1, 2024 - WCYB5
Healing Hands Health is celebrating six months of successfully providing essential dental care for Virginia Medicaid recipients, thanks to support from the Virginia Health Care Foundation in the form of a $90,000 grant from the foundation, which allowed them to provide salary and benefits for their first full-time dental hygienist. "There's such a great need in the community for dental care for the underinsured and the people that don't have insurance, " said registered dental hygienist Michelle Statti. "It's awesome that Healing Hands Health provides the atmosphere for me and our great staff here to provide the dental care that is needed."
 

Delta Dental Foundation Funds Safety Net Clinics

February 1, 2024 - Globe NewsWire
The Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation made $622,000 in grants to 10 safety-net clinics focused on meeting the critical oral health care needs of millions of Virginians. Recipients included the Arlington Free Clinic to continue its medical-dental integration, address treatment barriers, adopt sustainable fee practices and increase resources to meet growing patient demands; the Augusta Regional Dental Clinic to help equip two new dental operatories as part of an expansion project intended to offer 35% more dental appointments by the end of 2024; the Bradley Free Clinic to provide stipends, dental supplies, housing and meals for VCU School of Dentistry students and help support a part-time dental provider; the Free Clinic of Powhatan to assist with salaries and supplies in support of expanding dental clinic hours; HELP Clinic to help fund the integration of 3D printing technology into clinic services to make affordable dentures, night guards and crowns for patients; Healing Hands Health to help fund a full-time dentist needed to meet a growing demand to treat Virginia Medicaid patients at the center; Piedmont Regional Dental Clinic to help with the purchase of 3D printing technology so the clinic can offer affordable crowns and night guards to their patients; and G. Wayne Fralin Free Clinic of the Rescue Mission of Roanoke to support dental clinic salaries, including a part-time dentist and dental assistant, to provide holistic care for patients and purchase supplies.

Loudoun Free Clinic Recipient of Claude Moore Foundation Grant

January 31, 2024 - Loudoun Now
The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation has distributed $2,553,570 in grants to nonprofit organizations primarily serving Loudoun County. Under the foundation’s mission, the grants are intended to provide operating support to organizations that work to “give a leg up” to under-resourced populations and individuals living with disabilities. The grants also include funding for nursing scholarships, literacy, and youth leadership programs. The Loudoun Free Clinic received $90,000 in grant funds.

Virginia Free Clinics Seeing Rise In Patient Demand, Operating Costs

January 31, 2024 - Daily News-Record
A study by the VAFCC analyzed data submitted by 50 free and charitable clinics throughout Virginia. According to the study, the clinics treated 75,000 patients in 2022 compared to 63,000 in 2021 – an increase of approximately 19 percent. Susan Adamson, director of the Harrisonburg based, VAFCC member, Blue Ridge Free Clinic, said they have also been feeling the strain. “Doing grant writing for the Blue Ridge Free Clinic, I underestimated, quite a lot, the demand that was going to happen in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County,” Adamson said. “There was way more than we expected. We have seen more than 2,000 patients in the last two-and-a-half years, and we expected less than half that."

Free Clinics Experiencing Overwhelming Influx of Patients

January 29, 2024 - CBS19
Free clinics across Virginia are busier than ever these days with Charlottesville Free Clinic seeing a 15% increase in patients between 2022 and 2023. This demand expands beyond Charlottesville. The Virginia Association for Free and Charitable clinics reported that patient numbers across the state increased 19% between 2021 to 2022.

VIDEO: Orange County Free Clinic Cares

January 24, 2024 - 29 News

Retail Alliance Awards Lackey Clinic with a Community Impact Award

January 24, 2024 - isStories
In a resounding acknowledgment of its impactful contributions, the Lackey Clinic clinched the prestigious Community Impact Award at the Retail Alliance’s 16th Annual Retailer of the Year Awards. The Retail Alliance, an influential advocate providing support and education to retailers across the region, bestowed this honor on Lackey Clinic for its unwavering commitment to community welfare.Nonprofit healthcare organizations, driven by a mission rather than profit margins, play a pivotal role in ensuring that medical care remains a service and a human-centric endeavor.

VHCF Awards $140,000 to VAFCC Clinics

January 23, 2024 - Virginia Health Care Foundation
“From the Eastern Shore to Grayson County in Southwest Virginia, all of these grantees are addressing urgent and ongoing needs,” said Deborah Oswalt, VHCF’s Executive Director. “The current shortage of healthcare professionals and Virginia’s mental health crisis require an ‘all hands-on deck’ approach to ensure all Virginians have access to the care they need.” The statement comes as VAFCC members Bradley Free Clinic, CrossOver Healthcare Ministry, and Community Access Network  received over a combined $140,000.

Valley Health Seeks Community Grant Submissions

January 16, 2024 - The Morgan Messenger
Valley Health has announced that community agencies and nonprofits engaged in addressing the region’s health challenges are eligible to apply for a Community Partnership Grant.The health system intends to award 11 grants totaling $200,000, in increments from $2,500 to $100,000. The submission deadline is February 28, with funding to begin in June. In addition to the Community Partnership Grant program, Valley Health is making a 2024 investment of more than $800,000 in other mission-critical partnerships that support improving the health of the community with organizations such as Page Free Clinic, Saint Luke Community Clinic, Shenandoah Community Health Clinic and Sinclair Health Clinic receiving support.

Bristol Regional Speech & Hearing Center Recipient of Wellspring Foundation Donation

January 11, 2024 - WCYB
Bristol Regional Speech and Hearing Center was named as one of 13 recipients of hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money to improve the health and wellbeing of Southwest Virginia receiving a total of more than $900,000. Wellspring supports projects improving health, economic and educational development.

Arlington Free Clinic Gears Up to Mark 30 Years of Service

January 11, 2024 - Gazette Leader
Celebrating 30 years serving the Arlington community, Arlington Free Clinic is welcoming not just new board members, but a new CEO as Lesley Daigle has been approved to follow the successful tenure of Nancy White as president/CEO. “She is a warm and charismatic leader with an outstanding reputation and a clear passion for the Free Clinic’s mission,” officials said.
 

Northern Neck – Middlesex Free Health Clinic Expanded Dental Services

January 10, 2024 - News on the Neck
Dental services at the Northern Neck – Middlesex Free Health Clinic have expanded to five days and four evenings each week. The NNMFHC is home to a Medical Clinic, open five days and two evenings each week, and a Pharmacy as well as the six-station Dental Clinic. The dental staff includes a dentist, hygienist, two dental assistants and a dental coordinator. The dentist oversees VCU School of Dentistry senior dental and dental hygiene students on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. On Tuesdays and some Mondays, when students are not present, he manages a denture program and handles emergencies.
 

Health Wagon Featured in Documentary Shortlisted for Oscars

January 10, 2024 - MM+M
Filmmaker Ramin Bahrani's documentary If Dreams Were Lightning: Rural Healthcare Crisis follows Dr. Teresa Owens Tyson and Dr. Paula Hill-Collins of Health Wagon as they help uninsured patients navigating the health care system in Appalachia. “When I came across these two women in Appalachia and their Health Wagon, I thought it was a modern American version of that same story of my father,” Bahrani says.
 

GoochlandCares Celebrates Spirit of Martin Luther King Day

January 9, 2024 - Richmond Times-Dispatch
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. dedicated his life to service. On this upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, GoochlandCares is hoping to continue that legacy of service, appreciating the hard work their volunteers do in all facets at the clinic and encourage others to volunteer. Laura, a new volunteer, said, "I am happy I have the ability to volunteer and give back to Goochland. I get more out of this experience than I give without a doubt. It feels like we are all working together; staff, volunteers, and clients trying to build a better society.”
 

Guadalupe Free Clinic Blessing

January 4, 2023 - Arlington Catholic Herald
The Guadalupe Free Clinic in Colonial Beach was packed with more people than usual on a Wednesday morning. In addition to the increased number of patients seeking treatment, the waiting room held guests patiently waiting for a blessing by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of the clinic’s new larger office space Dec. 20.

Blue Ridge Free Clinic Says Insulin Price Caps Are ‘Revolutionary’

January 3, 2024 - WHSV3
A third company is capping their out of pocket costs for insulin at $35 per month. Following the provision in the Inflation Reduction Act for Medicare recipients as well as Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk all capping their price at $35, Sanofi will be capping Lantus, the most prescribed insulin in the US, at the same price. Blue Ridge Free Clinic in Harrisonburg celebrated the decision. “We use Lantus with almost all of our patients who have Type 2 diabetes that need insulin therapy. It’s a great insulin, it lasts for 24 hours, it only requires one injection a day, and it comes in a pen so it’s easy for patients to be able to use so it’s our choice of long-acting insulins here,” said Susan Adamson, Executive Director of BRFC.
 

Charlottesville Free Clinic Reacts to Insulin Cap

January 3, 2024 - CBS19

Many Americans with diabetes will pay just $35 for their insulin this year if they have Medicare. But that leaves out the millions of Americans with diabetes who don't have Medicare coverage. The nonprofit Charlottesville Free Clinic serves people aged 18 to 64 who don't qualify for Medicare. Many of their patients take insulin, and they're able to give it to them for free through the prescription assistance program. Those patients will age out of the free clinic at 65. “This new legislation to do the cap on insulin prices is going to be great for our patients. Once they do age out of the Charlottesville Free Clinic and they're able to afford insulin in the private marketplace a lot easier,” Willa Barnhardt from the clinic said.
 

GoochlandCares Running Dental Clinic at YMCA

January 3, 2024 - ABC8
The Goochland Family YMCA will host a free dental clinic for children late this month. On Jan. 23 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., the no-cost dental clinic will see patients ages five through 17 at Goochland Cares, located on 2999 River Rd. The clinic is in partnership with Virginia Family Dentistry and Goochland Cares, and will offer a free dental cleaning and check-up performed by local dentists.
 

Culmore Clinic Participating in Chagas Disease Clinical Trial

January 2, 2024 - Annandale Today
More prevalant in rural areas of Latin America, Chagas Disease is a parasitic infection that in later stages can threaten heart failure. With a patient population consisting of many individuals who hail from Latin America, Culmore Clinic has been selected to participate in the stage 1 trials of a drug treatment option for the disease. Currently treatment options are only available for children age 2-12 and no options for adults.

70% Spike of Syphilis Seen in Virginia

December 26, 2023 - Washington Post
A nationwide spike in cases of syphilis is causing the CDC to raise alarm bells. In Virginia, cases of the STI rose 70% from 2018-2022 with a larger rise in women over men despite the majority of cases being among men. “I want them to be aware of the spikes and know that it’s out there and growing and becoming an issue, but also I don’t want to scare them,” said Darius Pryor, HIV testing and prevention program manager at the nonprofit health clinic Health Brigade. “I want them to know their options to prevent it and for getting it treated if they are exposed. And for it all to be normal.”

Arlington Free Clinic Receiving $5k From County Fair

December 20, 2023 - Patch
Held in August, the Arlington County Fair announced Arlington Free Clinic as one of the recipients of their inaugural grant program, receiving $5,000 from the endowment. The Arlington Free Clinic said it will use the grant award to purchase diagnostic equipment that will be used to identify problems of the throat or voice box in the clinic’s patients.“Having this new equipment at Arlington Free Clinic will help avoid delays in diagnosis and treatment and will prevent lost work time by our patients,” said Nancy White, president of the Arlington Free Clinic.

Humana Builds On Health Equity Efforts At 3 VAFCC Clinics

December 19, 2023 - Jacksonville Free Press
Twenty four organizations around the US are receiving a holiday present from Humana totaling $176,000. Of those 24, three are members of the VAFCC: NOVA ScriptsCentral, GoochlandCares, and Piedmont Regional Dental Clinic. “The inaugural 2023 health equity grant cycles were launched to support initiatives and organizations within Humana’s footprint, deepening our engagement with those we serve,” said Tamara Smith, Associate Vice President of Strategy Advancement at Humana. “As we move into 2024, we aim to build upon our local partnerships and support communities where health disparities are the greatest.”

Blue Ridge Free Clinic Announced as Winner of Community Foundation Grant

December 12, 2023 - Daily News-Record
Harrisonburg-based nonprofit, The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham, has announced the winners of its annual fall cycle of grants. A total of nearly $160,000 was donated to 12 different organizations and the Blue Ridge Free Clinic was one of those organizations. “The Blue Ridge Free Clinic provides care for those that are uninsured and have difficulty paying for health care costs,” explained Ann Siciliano, foundation Director of Program Services. “That will support a large number of individuals that they see on a regular basis."

Clinics Optimizing Care for Patients with Limited English Proficiency

December 8, 2023 - Virginia Telehealth Network
Telehealth usage is on the rise across the state, and not just for native English speakers. CrossOver Healthcare Ministry noted that 80% of its patients' report their primary language is something other than English. Health Brigade in Richmond has taken to employing a tri-lingual mental health counselor, Paula Schoenau. “Over two thirds of our patient population at the clinic is not proficient in English,” said Schoenau. “It’s been a challenge to find Spanish and Portuguese speaking providers. I’m the only one.”

Farmville Rotary Club Donates to Heart of Virginia Free Clinic

December 8, 2023 - Farmville Herald
The Heart Of Virginia Free Clinic is working to fill gaps in coverage and with the help of the Rotary Club of Farmville’s Community Grant, is now able to help fill cavities and other dental needs for their vulnerable patients. The grant covers the expense of sending their uninsured patients to local dental care providers. “Dental care can surely save a life just like all the other kinds of medical care,” said HVFC Executive Director Patrica Payne

CrossOver Healthcare Ministry Recipient of Dominion Energy Donation

December 8, 2023 - ABC8
 Dominion Energy donated $15,000 to a local ministry which provides healthcare to people in need in Western Henrico County and Richmond’s Southside. Dominion gave the donation to CrossOver Healthcare Ministry, which runs two charitable clinics for low-income, uninsured and medically underserved patients, at an event on Friday, Dec. 8. Speakers at the event included Julie Bilodeau, CEO of CrossOver, and Dr. Cedric Green, Senior Vice President of Power Generation for Dominion Energy.

Brock Hughes Medical Center Recognized By RxPartnership at Richmond Event

Decemeber 7, 2023 - SWVA Today
For its contribution toward administering necessary prescriptions for more than 3,500 patients, RxPartnership recognized the hard work and dedication Brock Hughes Medical Center shows. “The staff and volunteers at Virginia clinics that serve the uninsured provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients who struggle to afford basic needs – and would likely not see a physician or fill their prescriptions if the clinic wasn’t there for them” said Amy Yarcich, executive director of Rx Partnership. “The clinics serve as an essential safety net for vulnerable patients.”

Smithfield Ruritans Donate to Western Tidewater Free Clinic

December 6, 2023 - Smithfield Times
Smithfield Ruritans gave end of year donations to the Christian Outreach, Western Tidewater Free Clinic, Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department, Isle of Wight Rescue and Steve Edwards with Mill Swamp Horses.

Community Connection: Western Tidewater Free Clinic (VIDEO)

December 5, 2023 - Hampton Roads Show
Everyday, people across Hampton Roads struggle with choosing between paying for food and a place to live or going to the doctor and getting their needed medications. The Western Tidewater Free Clinic is making sure access to healthcare is not just a dream, but a reality.

Nursing Students Bring Free Care to Rural Virginia With Student-Run Mobile Health Clinic

November 29, 2023 - RHIHub
Stopping three times a week, the Old Dominion University School of Nursing Community Care Mobile Clinic is bringing providers to rural areas that otherwise would struggle to reach care. The “nurse-led and student-run" program is giving nursing students the firsthand experience needed to train the next generation of care providers.

Moss Free Clinic's Neustatter: Save Lives By Getting Trained on Opioid Antidote Naloxone

November 26, 2023 - The Free-Lance Star
The opiod epidemic continues to ruin and take lives nationwide. However, there is a way for people to assist in saving others. Naloxone, better known by its brand name Narcan, can help individuals in the middle of an overdose episode. Getting trained in the use and administration of this live saving drug cannot be overstated. The Virginia Department of Health is pushing for people to go and get trained as part of their REVIVE program.
 

‘It’s Been a Game-Changer’ Augusta Regional Dental Clinic Receives $75,000 Grant

November 23, 2023 - WHSV
The Augusta Regional Dental Clinic received a $75,000 grant to keep one of its staff members on board. After graduating from dental school, Dr. Lee at the clinic jumped into work immediately through a grant-funded position, helping the clinic provide more affordable services to clients in the Augusta County area. Sophie Parsons, executive director of the clinic, said Dr. Lee has already had a substantial impact on the community and has done more than just be an extra set of hands.”The impact we’re seeing, it’s been a game-changer. We’ve been able to accept close to 500 new patients this year. Dr. Lee is more than just an extra pair of hands,” Parsons said.

GMCC Recognized For Helping 2,400+ Patients With Free Prescription Meds

November 21, 2023 - Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal
GMCC is able to provide low-income, uninsured patients with medication to treat a variety of chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension because of the connection with the statewide nonprofit, Rx Partnership. For almost 20 years, GMCC has worked with Rx Partnership to ensure that patients have the critical medication needed to maintain and improve their health, without having to worry about the cost of medication. “The staff and volunteers at Virginia clinics that serve the uninsured provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients who struggle to afford basic needs—and would likely not see a physician or fill their prescriptions if the clinic wasn’t there for them.” said Amy Yarcich, Executive Director of Rx Partnership.

Shenandoah Community Health Clinic Receiving Donation Match

November 20, 2023 - NVDaily
Nonprofits throughout Shenandoah County will be getting an additional boost this Giving Tuesday thanks to a donation match curtesy of the Shenandoah County Chamber of Commerce. Among the 20 organizations part of the program is Shenandoah Community Health Clinic. “We thought this would be a great time for our nonprofits to kick off the giving season,” said Sharon Baroncelli, executive director of Shenandoah County Chamber of Commerce. “Many charities receive contributions during this time of year. Giving Tuesday is that impetus to kick it off.”
 

Speedway Charities Distributes to Bristol Speech and Hearing Center

November 17, 2023 - Elizabethton Star
Bristol Speech and Hearing Center is getting a boost from the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Charities as part of an announced $800,000 in donations to Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia child center organizations. “We’re so thankful to the people who supported and joined our effort to help us meet the needs of children in our region,” said Claudia Byrd, executive director of Speedway Children’s Charities Bristol chapter.
 

Madison Free Clinic Reciving Funds From Power of Change Program

November 14, 2023 - CBS19
Two dozen nonprofits are getting support from the Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, thanks to its customers. According to a release, REC awarded more than $101,300 through its Power of Change program.In Madison County, the Madison Free Clinic is getting $5,000 to help expand its Healthcare Access for Madison County Residents program, which includes covering transportation costs.

The Culmore Clinic Now Offering Vision Care

November 14, 2023 - Annandale Today
For the first time in its 16-year history, the Culmore Clinic is offering its patients on-site eye exams and vision care – thanks to generous donations from the community. “A vision suite is something that free and charitable clinics like ours only dream of,” said Executive Director Lynette Sappe-Watkins at the open house.
 

In Rural Virginia, Communities Struggle to Find Enough Health Care Workers

November 13, 2023 - Virginia Mercury
Rural Virginians in the Tidewater area are getting a lift with ODU Community Care Clinic's new mobile unit. The unit will be able to provide some primary care for residents who otherwise would have to travel some distance to be able to be seen by a provider. “It’s amazingly fulfilling and rewarding to not only be able to give pre-care to a community that is so appreciative, but to teach and educate students and have them see this population through a different lens,” Tammy Speerhas, director of ODU’s Community Care program, said.

Blue Ridge Free Clinic Noting Rise in Congenital Syphilis

November 9, 2023 - WHSV3
Data out of the CDC recently has noted an alarming rise in the number of cases of congenital syphilis among newborns. Blue Ridge Free Clinic said it is not a disease they treat often, but that many pregnant patients they treat had never had a screening for the STI. “We are seeing a lot of women who are coming to our area who have not had any prenatal care. Some are seven or even eight months pregnant. And so if they’ve not had any prenatal care then there’s been no screening for syphilis in the early stages, and so by the time that they deliver it’s possible there could have been transmission of syphilis to their baby,” BRFC executive director Susan Adamson said.
 

Two Bradley Free Clinic Staff Recognized as Champions of Health

November 5, 2023 - The Roanoke Times
Bradley Free Clinic is recognizing James Black (pharmaceutical) and Janine Underwood (leadership) as Champions of Health Care in the Roanoke area. The health care awards program will be the centerpiece of the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics’ 30th-year anniversary celebrations.
 

Disenrolled Medicaid Recipients Getting Prescription Help From GMCC

November 1, 2023 - Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal
For patients struggling with limited income, paying for expensive medications can be burdensome at best and unaffordable and unfilled at worst. Partnering with RxPartnership, Gloucester-Mathews Care Clinic is looking into ways to ease this barrier for patients.
 

Dykemans Recognized as Champions of Health

November 1, 2023 - Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal
Nancy and Jim Dykeman of the Gloucester Mathews Care Clinic will be among the safety net health care professionals to be honored by the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics at its 2023 Annual Conference on Nov. 15-16 in Richmond. The couple is a recipient of one of its Champions of Health Care awards, with the Dykemans named as the Funding Champion recipient.
 

Eastern Virginia Medical School Students Publish Study

October 30, 2023 - Cureus
Citing homeless patients increased risk of musculoskeletal conditions, Eastern Virginia Medical School's HOPES free clinic used the need to train students to more effectively provide physical therapy and osteopathic manual therapy as treatments for acute and chronic conditions.
 

Lloyd F. Moss Free Clinic to Celebrate 30 years

October 29, 2023 - Free Lance Star
Starting as a two-doctor operation, seeing patients two evenings a week, Moff Free Clinic has grown to one of the busiest free clinics in Virginia. It employs three nurse practitioners and provides full time primary care, which includes behavioral health, as well as a comprehensive dental clinic, specialist care and a full range of labs and imaging studies.
 

Letter to the Editor: The Dream Team at SCHC

October 27, 2023 - The Northern Virginia Daily
Shenandoah Community Health Clinic is home to a plethora of compassionate care providers with some putting in 12-hour days to ensure the highest level of care for patients.In this letter to the editor, SCHC executive director Buck Buckley commends his staff for their excellent and hard work putting the people they serve first.
 

Lackey Clnic Wins Community Impact Award

October 27, 2023 - The Virginian-Pilot
Hampton Roads retail merchant association Retail Alliance announced the winners for this year’s Retailer of the Year Awards at its celebration at The Harbor Club in downtown Norfolk on Oct. 19. “With the theme ‘Charting New Horizons’ this year, we encouraged our members to share their stories of exploration, adaptation and growth,” Retail Alliance President and CEO Jenny Crittenden said. “Whether it’s through groundbreaking initiatives, sustainable business practices, community outreach or transformative customer experiences, we invited them to demonstrate how their retail brand is boldly charting new paths in the ever-evolving retail landscape.” Lackey Clinic was honored at the event as the winner of the Community Impact Award.
 

CDC Director Visits Arlington Free Clinic

October 24, 2023 - ARLNow
Cold and flue season is upon us and in an effort to boost vaccination against RSV and the flu, CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen visited the Arlington Free Clinic. The visit also coincided with a clinic vaccination event in which 75 of the clinic’s more than 1,300 patients — all of whom are uninsured — rolled up their sleeves for Covid, RSV and flu shots."You need to bring the extra energy this season to make sure that folks know how important it is to still get vaccines, to still get protected. We don’t want fatigue to be the reason that folks aren’t protected," she said.

Free Clinic of Central VA, Bernard Healthcare Center Recipients of Fundraiser Funds

October 23, 2023 - Smith Mountain Eagle
Resurrection Roman Catholic Church in Moneta hosted its 36th annual Joyous Junque fundraiser to benefit 24 local charities in Bedford and Franklin counties. Two of the local charities selected are VAFCC members the Free Clinic of Central Virginia and the Free Clinic of Franklin County at the Bernard Healthcare Center. The event raised $70,000 to be distributed.

GoochlandCares Continuing Fight Against Breast Cancer

October 17, 2023 - Richmond Times-Dispatch
GoochlandCares maintains their impact on women's health with their Well Women program expediting care for those at the highest risk of developing breast cancer. Early detection of breast cancer continues to be a major factor in managing care. “Early detection and treatment save lives. It’s imperative and crucial,” says Kitty Kimmel, who volunteers to manage the Well Woman program at GoochlandCares.
 

Two VAFCC Members Receiving PATH Foundation Grants

October 17, 2023 - InsideNova
For its newest round of flexible funding, the PATH Foundation has announced 60 organizations serving Fauquier, Rappahannock and Culpeper counties will be receiving parts of $1.3m. Two different VAFCC member clinics, Piedmont Regional Dental Clinic and Culpeper Free Clinic, are being included in these grants.As unrestricted funds, Flexible Funding grants can be used as needed for nonprofits and organizations to meet their missions. The awards are also designed to fund a variety of projects, prioritizing organizations and populations that are most in need.
 

CrossOver Healthcare Ministries, RxPartnership Grappling With High Cost of Prescriptions

October 11, 2023 - CBS6
Inflation continues to pinch the purse strings as patients put off prescription due to pricing. “We’d like people to get care earlier and get started with healthier lifestyle habits sooner. But in reality, in order to stay out of the emergency room, people are going to need maybe four or five different medications. That's where sometimes it gets to be a cost burden,” said Rx Partnership Executive Director Amy Yarcich. “When you're on multiple medications those costs pile up. I definitely have patients who come to us and say, ‘I can't afford all these medications,’ and are unable to fill them because of that,’” said CrossOver Healthcare Ministries associate Medical Director Dr. Danielle Avula.
 

Mel Leahman Free Clinic to Christen New Mobile Medical Unit

October 11, 2023 - SWVA Today
Thanks to a donation from Anthem HealthKeepers Plus, Mel Leahman Free Clinic can bring care to the most rural parts of their area with a new Remote Area Medical (RAM) Clinic. In their area, distance can become a barrier for access to care and this aims to bridge the gap.“As a demonstration of this commitment,” said Thomas Rayner of Anthem HealthKeepers Plus, “we have placed a fully-outfitted medical van with the Mel Leaman Free Clinic. Anthem will support this van and expenses, and help Mel Leaman maximize its use.”

Williamsburg Health Foundation Grants Target Mental Health at 3 VAFCC Member Clinics

Octoebr 11, 2023 - Daily Press
In its 2022 annual report, the Williamsburg Health Foundation announced it had donated over $4.5m in grants across the region to 40 different organizations, 15 of which were first time recipients. Among those were VAFCC member clinics Gloucester-Mathews Care Clinic, Lackey Clinic, and the Community Access Network. The grants are targetted to supporting mental health programs. “The foundation has long recognized the significance of mental health and its connection to overall well-being,” said Bill D. Pribble, the foundation’s vice president of programs. “As the mental health toll from the COVID-19 pandemic became apparent in our community, the foundation prioritized funding in 2022 for programs that increased access to behavioral health services. For this reason, the focus of our 2022 annual report is on mental and behavioral health.”

Gloucester-Mathews Care Clinic Marks 25 Years With Major Gift

October 11, 2023 - Gloucest-Mathews Gazette-Journal
The Gloucester-Mathews Care Clinic held its annual fundraising Oktoberfest on Oct. 1 at Ware River Yacht Club, receiving a gift for $25,000 from Abingdon Episcopal Church during the event. Also during the fundraiser, in which the clinic celebrated 25 years, it was announced that 25 “clinic heroes” will be honored in a permanent installation to be unveiled next Thursday, Oct. 19. Maureen Crone, GMCC marketing and development director, said that in addition to the donation from Abingdon, the clinic has raised more than $46,000 for patient care through the event.

Faquier Free Clinic Treats 250 at Piedmont Smiles Pop-Up

October 10, 2023 - Inside Nova
A 12 hour work day didn't deter 40 volunteer dentists and dental students as well as 150 vounteers from providing care for over 250 patients for the second installation of the Mission of Mercy from the Virginia Dental Association Foundation. “Families with limited incomes really struggle to obtain dental care, often putting it off until the consequences or the pain become too much,” Rob Marino, executive director of the Fauquier Free Clinic, the host organization for the Warrenton event, said in the release. “It’s a shame because if we could get to the patients sooner we could prevent a lot of pain and suffering.”

Commentary: For Many Struggling With Addiction, Free Clinics Are a Lifeline

October 4, 2023 - Richmond Times Dispatch
Given the abundance of fentanyl, we are in the midst of an opoid epidemic crisis lives at an alarming rate. In order to combat this, Bradley Free Clinic's HOPE Initiative is being used as a model to aid in recovery. The HOPE Initiative leverages peer recovery specialists with lived experience of combatting addiction coordinate care for participants in the program. The program has seen 2,000 participants with 80% completing treatment or recovery.
 

GoochlandCares SDV Program Aiding Survivors Through Trauma

October 3, 2023 - Richmond Times-Dispatch
Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October marks a grim reminder of the realities that sexual and domestic abuse continue to plague communities. For those affected, they are not alone. GoochlandCares aided nearly 120 individuals in 2022 through several services including a 24/7 hotline, court advocacy, and housing assistance. The State of Virginia’s 24-hour Family Violence and Sexual Assault hotline number is 1-800-838-8238.

Lackey Clinic Part of Williamsburg Community Foundation Grants

October 3, 2023 - WYDaily
The WIlliamsburg Community Foundation awarded 23 organizations parts of over $83,000 worth of grants. Lackey Clinic will be using their funds to tackle social determinants of health by providing transportation for patients who otherwise would not be able to make it to their appointments and making medications more accessible and safer by providing them in patients' native language.
 

Getting to the Root of Oral Health

October 2, 2023 - VCU Health
Sara Raskins, Ph.D, sees the connection between oral health and many aspects of a person's health. “Oral health has a reciprocal relationship with overall health. For example, pregnant people who have periodontal (gum) disease are more likely to deliver preterm or low birth weight babies,” Raskin said. “Having gum disease also substantially increases the risk of poor glycaemic control and end-stage renal disease among people with diabetes.”
 

Colonial Beach Fraternal Order of Eagles presents donation to Guadalupe Free Clinic

October 1, 2023 - The Free Lance-Star
Colonial Beach Fraternal Order of Eagles presented a $2,500 donation to the Guadalupe Free Clinic on Sept. 16. Funds will go toward the purchase of medical supplies. Oct. 17 will mark one year in the clinic’s new space. The clinic is on pace to exceed all previous years in number of patients and patient visits. Clinic director Lance Carrington, center, is pictured with Sharon Schellin, Aerie 4315 president and state trustee, and Tommy Edwards, Aerie 4315 trustee and state past president.

Healing Hands Receives Oral Health Grant

September 29, 2023 - Bristol Herald-Courier
Healing Hands Health has been awarded a $90,000 grant from the Virginia Health Care Foundation. The award will support the salary and benefits of a full-time dental hygienist for one year and enable Healing Hands Health to expand dental hygiene services, according to a written statement.
 

Bradley Free Clinic Seeing Early Flu and COVID Shot Demand

September 26, 2023 - WFXR
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) says with any seasonal vaccination, your body will take about two weeks to build up a defense against the illness, so we need to be preparing now. “You may feel a little bit tired, you may need to take some ibuprofen and Tylenol, but it’s not a problem taking them both together,” said Bradley Free Clinic James Black.
 

Sinclair Free Clinic Project Aims to Improve Health of Lonely Patients

September 26, 2023 - Winchester Star
Sinclair Health Center in Winchester has discovered from screening for social determinants of health that loneliness and feelings of isolation are fueling the need for treatment. The clinic is working to address this with a new project set to launch this month to address loneliness by using meditation training that focuses on self-kindness and social connectedness.

Loudoun Free Clinic Celebrates 25 Years

September 22, 2023 - Loudon Now
At a celebration replete with local leaders, Loudon Free Clinic celebrated serving the un- and underinsured for 25 years with a ribbon cutting and tour of their newly renovated space. “We couldn’t do all of our work without volunteers, and we couldn’t do it without donors,” Interim Executive Director Ashley Hunnicutt said. “The clinic has grown a lot over the years, and that growth is due to the support of some loyal sponsors such as Inova Health System, the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation, a wonderful anonymous foundation donor, and others. I want to thank all of the donors that got us to this moment today.”

Madison Free Clinic Awarded UVA Health Grant

September 20, 2023 - UVA Health
UVA Health announced the allocation of nearly $200,000 in grant funding to support 26 local non-profit organizations in the Northern Virginia and Culpeper regions who support our communities’ most vulnerable populations, strive to reflect diversity, equity and inclusion, and address the pipeline for healthcare workforce development.

St. Luke Community Clinic Holds 27th Annual Benefit

September 20, 2023 - Royal Examiner
St. Luke Community Clinic is gearing up for its annual benefit on September 30th. The Venture will be held at Shenandoah Valley Golf Club beginning at 5:30pm and will feature a three course meal and auction, including a guitar created by the clinic's own PA valued at over $3,000.

Shenandoah Community Clinic to Provide Free Virtual Mental Health Services

September 18, 2023 - The Northern Virginia Daily
The Virginia Telemental Health Initiative is expanding to 10 total clinics with the addition of Shenandoah Community Clinic in Woodstock. The program provides access to mental health counseling and services to patients of free clinics around the Commonwealth.

Arlington Free Clinic Partnering with Georgetown University

September 14, 2023 - The Hoya

Clinics around the state are seeing the same need - medical translation services. Non-English speaking patients are seeing an uptick statewide with several clinics reporting more than 75% of patients as non-english speaking. In response to this need, Arlington Free Clinic is partnering with Georgetown University's Medical Spanish Initiative to begin training students in a clinical setting, serving a current need and preparing for the future.

Health Brigade Awarded Americares and Quest Diagnostics Free Services

September 13, 2023 - Americares
Americares and industry leading diagnostic techology company Quest Diagnostics awarded ten clinics nationwide with free diagnostic services for one year in order for clinics to manage chronic conditions more affordably. Health Brigade in Richmond is one of the clinics selected.“Free and charitable clinics, which are a critical safety net in communities all across America, often rely on donations and need support to provide patients with essential health services,” said Americares Vice President of U.S. Programs Saqi Maleque Cho.

Bernard Healthcare Center Helping Break the Stigma

September 12, 2023 - Virginia Telehealth Network
Earlier this year, Bernard Healthcare Center began offering free teletherapy to eligible patients of the clinic through the Virginia Telemental Health Initiative (VTMHI), a VTN-led program that provides free teletherapy to patients who don’t have insurance through participating free and charitable clinics.“There are so many reasons individuals don’t want to seek therapy or counseling, especially in rural areas of the state,” said Nicole Kemp, NP-C. “A lot of our patients are hesitant to share their personal information with a total stranger and [they may bring] other negative perceptions of therapy.”

Pathway's Specialty Clinic and Healing Hands Success Secret? Community Health Workers

September 8, 2023 - Virginia Mercury
Community Health Workerss are not clinicians, nor are they social workers. They are one part advocate, one part coach, and one part teacher. Most importantly, as they are acting in all of these parts, CHWs are considered a trusted source of information. CHWs serve as invaluable connectors. They bridge the unspoken gaps between people and the services they need. CHWs are helping Virginia patients navigate the health care system.

Augusta Regional Clinic Celebrates 30 Years of Service to Community

September 8, 2023 - Staunton News Leader
Augusta Regional Clinic has seen some changes over the years but has maintained a high level of care over the last 30 years."The Augusta Regional Free Clinic opened on Sept. 9, 1993. A patient once called it a 'dispenser of hope,'" recalled Mary Timberlake, one of the clinic’s founders and emeritus board member. "We asked for the money; we figured out what to do and did it."

Health Wagon Addiction Program Has Treated More Than 70

September 7, 2023 - Bristol Herald Courier
Utilizing a program developed three years ago, the Health Wagon in southwest Virginia presented on their unique approach to treating more than 70 substance use disorder patients. "I think in Southwest Virginia there’s not a family out there that was not affected by the opioid crisis,” said Health Wagon CEO Dr. Teresa Tyson. “Southwest Virginia has been targeted because we do have really high disability rates and it made it the perfect target for those drug companies.”

$500K Grant to Expand Substance Use Peer Recovery Program Across Virginia

September 7, 2023 - Augusta Free Press
A new $500,000 grant from the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation will help the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics expand substance use disorder peer-based recovery programs in the Commonwealth to six clinics over the next three years. The Health Wagon, a charitable clinic located in Wise and serving Southwest Virginia, has been selected to initiate the effort in the first year and the remaining five clinics will be chosen in year two and three.

Funding allows Health Wagon to Offer Substance Abuse Program

September 5, 2023 - Bristol Herald Courier
A new $500,000 grant from the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation will help the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics expand substance use disorder peer-based recovery programs in the Commonwealth to six clinics over the next three years.The Health Wagon, a charitable clinic located in Wise County and serving Southwest Virginia, has been selected to initiate the effort in the first year and the remaining five clinics will be chosen in year two and three.

Healing Hands Health Center Kicks Off Free Health Care Event

August 31, 2023 - WCYB5
As part of an annual two day event, Healing Hands in Bristol will offer physical exams and blood work, vaccines and boosters, chest x-rays, and mental health screenings. This comes with ETSU Quillen College of Medicine students volunteering at the clinic."Rural healthcare desserts are a real problem especially in the Appalachian area," said Hodges.

Gloucester Mathews Care Clinic Host Golf Classic

August 31, 2023 - Gloucester Mathews Gazette-Journal
Held on August 18 at the Piankatank River Golf Course in Hartfield, the foursome of Aaron Cothern, Fritz Frederickson, Daniel Carver, and Michael Nunes won the 13th annual Gloucester Mathews Care Clinic Golf Classic.The event attracted 116 golfers to raise $36,000 for GMCC.

Bradley Free Clinic Model Expanding To Health Wagon Thanks to Anthem Grant

August 31, 2023 - WDBJ7
Marking International Overdose Awareness day and kicking over National Recovery Month, the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation awarded a large grant to expand a program started at Bradley Free Clinic to other free and charitable clinics in Virginia over the next few years beginning with the Health Wagon in Southwest Virginia. Bradley Free Clinic's HOPE Initiative utilizes certified peer recovery specialists to coordinate care during patients' participation in the program.

Health Wagon Connecting Via Starlink

August 30, 2023 - Virginia Business
Operating a mobile clinic in the mountains of rural Virginia created interesting barriers for the Health Wagon. Typically using cell phone service to connect, several stops along their route lack connectivity needed to access electronic records or for patients to attend telehealth visits with specialists. Recognizing this, the Health Wagon found their answer in the satalite internet company Starlink.

Brock Hughes Medical Center Hosts Annual Golf Tournament

August 28. 2023 - SWVA Today
The 5th Annual Jerry Hurt Memorial Golf Tournament was held at the Wytheville Golf Club on Friday, August 18.The tournament is named for the late Jerry Hurt who was serving as treasurer of the Brock Hughes Medical Center at the time of his death in 2018.Seen as a rousing success, the tournament gathered 74 sponsors and 26 teams with all proceeds benefitting BHMC.

Sentara Health Awards NOVA ScriptsCentral $50,000 Grant

August 24, 2023 - Prince William Living
Working towards more affordable access to medication, Sentara Health has awarded NOVA ScriptsCentral with a $50,000 grant. Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center (SNVMC) and NSC both share a common goal in helping underserved communities access quality health care.“What we do here through NOVA ScriptsCentral gives our community new chances each and every day,” said NSC Executive Director Donney John, PharmD.

Northern Neck-Middlesex Free Health Clinic Adding New Dental Hygienist

August 23, 2023 - Rappahannock Record
Thanks in part to a grant from the Virginia Health Care Foudnation, the Northn Neck-Middlesex Free Health Clinic is ending a five year search by adding to their team. Registered dental hygienist Antonia Kimble brings 12 years of experience to the dental side of the clinic.“We know how fortunate we are to find a dental hygienist who wants to work full-time and is motivated to join us in the mission of providing the highest level of healthcare to all those who lack access to it in our community,” said Jean Nelson, Clinic CEO.

GoochlandCares Doctor Retiring After 15 Years

August 22, 2023 - Richmond Times-Dispatch
After 15 years as a primary care physician at GoochlandCares, Dr. Pamela Richardson is hanging up her stethoscope. Starting as a volunteer following a battle with cancer, She found her love of and purpose for medicine again at the clinic. “She is a unique blend of exceptional medical acumen and a heart that overflows with kindness,” said GoochlandCares Executive DIrector Sally Graham of Richardson.

MolinaCares Accord Investing $1m Toward Community Health

August 15, 2023 - BusinessWire

CrossOver Healthcare Ministry's pharmacy is getting assistance in expanding as part of the MolinaCares Accord's initiative. “Every Virginia citizen should have access to the health resources needed to thrive,” said Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources John Littel. “I applaud MolinaCares’ efforts to expand upon the work of this administration and to provide support to communities in need.”

VA Senators Raising Federal Funding For Rural VA Healthcare

August 10, 2023 - Daily News-Record
Senators Time Kaine and Mark Warner announced $5.1m in funding for rural healthcare and welness programs to the Virginia Consortium to Advance Health Care in Appalachia. Members of the consortium include VAFCC member the Health Wagon. “All Virginians, no matter where they live, should have access to high-quality, reliable health care,” said the senators in the news release. “We’re glad this funding will help expand telehealth services, improve capacity for mental health and substance use treatment programs, and update essential medical equipment so that more Virginians can get the care they need.”
 

Accessia Health Using Patient Assistence Programs For Better Results

August 7, 2023 - Fierce Healthcare
VAFCC partner organization Accessia Health is adressing needs of the underserved via Patient Assistance Programs or PAPs. These programs, aimed toward those who are unable to or struggling to afford diagnostic tests, durable medical equipment, and dental services.

ODU’s School of Nursing Receives HRSA Grant

August 4, 2023 - ODU
Old Dominion University's nursing program is receiving a $2.6m grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to bolster their efforts to bring accessible care into rural areas. The grant comes on the heels of ODU launching their Community Care clinic van earlier this year as a step toward achieving this goal.

Bradley Free Clinic, VTCSOM Partner For Refugee Oral Health Day

August 4, 2023 - VTCSOM
Continuing their cooperative partnership, Bradley Free Clinic of Roanoke and the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine are joining together for Refugee Oral Health day on August 12. Six students from Virginia Tech will provide oral health examinations while two dentists from Bradley Free Clinic will supervise if student's questions arise.
 

Greene Care Clinic, Sentara Bringing Mobile Mammographies to Standardsville

August 2, 2023 - CBS 19
A joint venture between Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital, Sentara RMH Medical Center and Greene Care Clinic will be bringing a mobile mammography clinic to Standardsville on Aug. 23 and Oct. 13 at the Green County Office Building. Women over 40 will not need a doctor's referral for the breast cancer screening.
 

Health Wagon See Hundreds with Move Mountains Weekend Clinic

August 1, 2023 - Bristol Herald Courier
With two locations over the weekend, the Health Wagon was able to provide some level of medical care for hundreds of patients in Wise County. “We did a lot of good over the weekend. It was a tremendous event as always. We were able to add the veterinary component into this and it was highly successful,” said Dr. Teresa Tyson of the Health Wagon, organizer of the Move Mountains event. “Preliminary estimates probably over 400 came to that [vet clinic] and about 400 individuals because multiple people went to multiple services.”

A Regular Visit With Your Doctor is Quickly Becoming a Thing of the Past

July 27, 2023 - The Brunzwick News
After 35 years in the medical field Dr. Chris Hakim has seen the shifting landscape of providing care, one that older patients are struggling to adapt to. IT challenges and administration are encouraging private practices to band together to provide infrastructure and deal with government- and industry-sponsored plans so the physician could spend more time focusing on health again.“Patients are witnessing the change of command here and who is in control, who is making all these decisions and it’s changing the experience all around,” Hakim said.

Faquier Free Clinic Returns with Piedmont Smiles Program October 7

July 27, 2023 - Faquier Now
“Piedmont Smiles,” a collaborative project from the Virginia Dental Association Foundation's Missions of Mercy and community stakeholders such as the PATH Foundation, the Wise Foundation, Dominion National, the Culpeper Wellness Foundation and Fauquier Free Clinic, will be held this year on Oct. 7. The event will take place at Fauquier High School in Warrenton and offer same-day dental services – including cleanings, fillings and extractions – to adult residents in the Fauquier, Rappahannock, Culpeper, Madison and Orange counties and surrounding areas at no cost, according to a news release.
 

Page Free Clinic Adds Three Wellness Programs

July 25, 2023 - NBC 29

After looking at needs in the county, they have added home visits for those who don’t have access to transportation, fresh produce from a community garden and free gym memberships for qualified residents. “The home visits are by appointment only and generally offered on Mondays,” Ben Dolewski, executive director of the Page Free Clinic said. “It’ll be a comprehensive visit where we can write prescriptions we can do physical assessment and care for the patient without them leaving their home.”

Lackey Clinic Partners with Generated Health’s Florence Intelligent Program

July 19, 2023 - WY Daily
Lackey Clinic will be joining others from around the world, namely the UK and Australia, with an interactive messaging services nickname "Flo". The service connects with patients to encourage them to continue their care treatment program. “We are committed to greater investment in technology to engage patients, drive positive lifestyle change, and improve health outcomes,” said Larry Trumbore, Lackey Clinic’s CEO.

GMCC to Expand Mental Health Counseling Services

July 19, 2023 - Gloucester Mathews Gazette Journal
Gloucester Mathews are Clinic is adding a new psyciatric mental health nurse practitioner to begin in August. “Our goal is to provide the most comprehensive care facility possible for our patients,” said C.J. Badger, RN, GMCC’s director of patient care. “We are very fortunate to have medical, dental and behavioral health services available under one roof—but we still face challenges meeting the needs of all of our patients. The addition of another counselor will fill a real need and reduce appointment waiting times for patients.”

Filling the Gaps

July 18, 2023 - Richmond Magazine
With the need rising, access to dental care in the Richmond area is a growing concern for providers.“We need more community support. We need extra sets of hands, donations, volunteers,” she says. “If patients don’t come here, they’re either going to an emergency room or they’re going to let the problem get worse.”

Healthcare Grant Allows Augusta Regional Dental Clinic to Provide More Coverage

July 16, 2023 - The News Virginian
The Virginia Healthcare Foudnation is donating $100,000 to the Augustua Regional Dental Clinic in Fishersville The grant permitted ARDC to hire an additional dental graduate in Dr. Jasmine Lee. “Our patients are your kids’ school bus drivers, grocery shop cashiers, small medical practice receptionists, and we also welcome many students and retirees with disabilities,” said ARDC executive director Sophie Parson.

Western Tidewater Given Blessing from Galatians United Church of Christ

July 14, 2023 - Suffolk News Herald
“One of the things that our church does annually is to seek out entities or organizations where we can bless. This year, I think we came up with about seven or eight. And actually, Western Tidewater Free Clinic was first on our list, and this is the first time that we have blessed them as a church. We’re just looking forward to helping the wider community and we hope and pray that the contributions and the in-kind services that we have done will be a blessing for the entire given area of Western Tidewater," said Galatians UCC Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Madeleine F. Beard.

VTCSOM and Bradley Free Clinic Partnering for School Physicals

July 13, 2023 - VT
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM) faculty and students are volunteering as part of an innovative partnership that helps children without financial means receive their mandatory school physicals. Dozens of immigrant and refugee children in Roanoke are given free school physicals through a collaboration between Bradley Free Clinic, Roanoke City Public Schools, VTCSOM, Carilion Clinic, and the Roanoke City Health Department.

Gloucester-Mathews Care Clinic Hosting Annual Golf Tournament

July 12, 2023 - Gloucester Mathews Gazette Journal
The Gloucester Mathews Care Clinic invites golfers to tee off in its 13th annual Golf Classic, to support patient care. The captain’s choice tournament will be held Friday, Aug. 18, at the Piankatank River Golf Course, Hartfield, starting at noon. Register online at gmcareclinic.com/golfclassic.

Health Wagon Hosting 21st Move Mountains Medical Mission

July 11, 2023 - Johnson City Press
The Health Wagon is hosting their 21st Move Mountains Medical Mission at the Wise County Fairgrounds from Friday July 28 to Sunday July 30. Registration opens each day at 7 am.Medical care will be available for all three days. Alongside this opportunity will be a two day dental clinic by Virginia Dental Association Foundation’s Missions of Mercy at UVA Wise’s David Prior Convocation Center. “Together, let's embrace wellness and discover the wonderful resources that await you at our health fair expo,” said Health Wagon CEO Dr. Teresa Tyson. “Your health matters, and your presence makes all the difference.”

Local Group Helping Charlottesville Residents Get Medicaid Back

July 7, 2023 - CBS19
As the co-chair of the Move 2 Health Equity Coalition, Greg Winston is organizing patients to make their way to Charlottesville Free Clinic. "Health care is a right. We all need to make sure that that just like education and other things that people have access to it, there should not be any barriers to it," he said. On top of working with CFC, the  Move 2 Health Equity Coalition is working with Social Services to get those who are still eligible and lost their Medicaid coverage back on Medicaid

Food Lion Feeds Donates to GoochlandCares

July 5, 2023 - The Richmond Times-Dispatch

Food Lion Feeds, the charitable arm of Food Lion, has donated $2600 to Goochland Cares to help combat food insecurity to those most in need.“Our work is only possible through support from the community,” said Sally Graham, GoochlandCares executive director. “This grant … is critical to sustaining our mission of providing basic human needs and health care to our Goochland neighbors in need.”

Patient appreciation day at Catholic Charities

July 3, 2023 - The Arlington Catholic Herald
Some 600 patients and family members gathered in Woodbridge at the Catholic Charities Mother of Mercy Free Medical Clinic June 24 for its first Patient Appreciation Day, an event designed to provide a little pampering to patients who might not otherwise receive it. They received free haircuts and spa treatments, participated in fun games and activities, and enjoyed plenty of good food. “I’m so grateful for the support of our parishes and volunteers who helped us share God’s love and consolation with so many people in our community,” said Catholic Charities President and CEO Stephen Carattini.

Report: More People Skipping Medical Treatment to Save Money

July 1, 2023 - NBC 29
New research from the CDC and Federal Reserve shows that people are skipping out on medical treatment or improperly taking medication to save money.“When people are having to make the choice between paying rent, getting groceries, or going to the dentist, getting their eyes checked, or even going to a medical appointment, it’s rent and groceries and childcare. Those are going to win the day,” said Charlottesville Free Clinic Executive Director Susan Sherman.

Crossroads Medical Mission Allocated Funds For Expansion

June 30, 2023 - Bristol Herald Courier
Bristol, VA is allocating $45,000 for Croassroads Medical Mission to purchase and renovate a nearby building earmarked for their expansion. “We had no idea that the property next door was a parsonage that was abandoned — and was not being used in the best possible way,” Crossroads Executive Director Cindy Rockett told the council. “We started thinking, this would be a great addition to Crossroads Medical Mission.”

Abbet Named Sinclair Health Clinic's New Executive Director

June 29, 2023 - The Winchester Star
Sinclair Health Clinic is under new management with Dr. Mercedes Abbet being named the new Executive Director of the clinic. “Her credentials and experience would be an asset to any healthcare organization, but her unwavering commitment to providing health care to those in need will further strengthen the legacy established by Dr. Terry Sinclair, the volunteers, and staff of the clinic,” said Sinclair Health Clinic's board chairwoman Robbie Marchant.

Bradley Free Clinic Partnering with Virginia Tech

June 27, 2023 - VT News
In an effort to provide mandatory physicals for children who otherwise couldn't afford to get one otherwise, students and faculty at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine are joining up with Bradley Free Clinic.“Physicals are mandatory for all students in Roanoke Public Schools. It’s the law,” said Vydia Permashwar, VTCSOM associate professor of pediatrics, Carilion Clinic pediatrician. “But what are immigrant families supposed to do? They don’t have insurance. They don’t have money. They risk their child being held back if they don’t have a physical.”
 

Virginia Telehealth Network Survey Shows Excitement Over Telehealth

June 26, 2023 - Healthcare IT News
The results are in following a survey of 10,500 licensed professionals throughout the state conducted by the Virginia Telehealth Network. Telehealth, broadly, is here to stay. Respondent care providers said that they are encouraged by the improvements in patient continuity of care (80% of respondents) and a majority (60%) say they will be expanding their usage of telehealth in their practice.

Health Brigade Gains Grant to Combat Substance Use Disorder

June 22, 2023 - Yahoo! Finance
The opioid epidemic continues to rage, resulting in the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) distributing grants to community organizations nationwide to combat the scourge. VAFCC member Health Brigade received one of these grants. The Richmond based clinic will be utilizing the funds to improve the organizational capacity of their Comprehensive Harm Reduction program.
 

Culpeper Wellness Foundation Supporting Madison and Orange Free Clinics

June 22, 2023 - Culpeper Star-Exponent

A pair of VAFCC members are benefitting from parts of $120,000 in grants from the Culpeper Wellness Foundation. With their grant, Madison Free Clinic will be obtaining new screening equipment to better track vital signs of patients while Orange Free Clinic will be going in a different route to support their mental health services.

Living Waters Community Clinic Celebrates Seven Years

June 10, 2023 - Free Lance Star
Born out of a vision of The Lake of the Woods Church and remains a faith-based organization, LivingBr Waters Community Clinic celebrated seven years in operation in May and has served more than 450 patients in that time, giving out $650,000 in free care in 2022 alone.
 

Healing Hands Names New Medical Director

June 7, 2023 - Bristol Herald Courier
Healing Hands Health Center has named Dr. Kelsey Lloyd to serve as interim Medical Director, replacing Dr. Dace Arnold after 17 years of service. Dr. Lloyd has a medical degree from East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine and completed her residency in their family medicine program. Dr. Lloyd has been precepting ETSU medical residents at Healing Hands for the past year.

Clinic Patients Offered Telemental Health Services

June 7, 2023 - Wytheville Enterprise
Joining several other clinics in Virginia, Brock Hughes Medical Clinic is set to begin offering telemental health services via the Virginia Telemental Health Initiative. The program utilizes prelicensed mental health providers with clinical supervisors and participating free and charitable clinics.“We felt really fortunate to have been chosen to participate. We were one of the first clinics to participate,” said BHMC executive director Stacey Linkous.

Grammy Winner Bruce Hornsby Performing to Fundraise for Free Clinic of Franklin County

June 6, 2023 - WFXR
Performingh at Smith Mountain Lake, Grammy winner Bruce Hornsby's concert on June 8 will give a boost to the Free Clinic of Franklin County. “The Free Clinic serves as a key safety-net provider of healthcare in the Franklin County area for uninsured and underinsured community members. Our partnership with The Coves will shine a light on the important work of the Clinic,” said Shirley Holland, Vice President of Planning & Community Development for Carilion Clinic