Decatur clinic helping those without health insurance [The Decatur Daily, Ala.]

April 01--Eight years after opening its doors in Decatur, the Community Free Clinic of Morgan County continues to play a vital role for residents who can't afford health insurance.

As politicians debated the legality of President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, clinic volunteers unceremoniously went about their work of handling 5,255 patient visits in 2011, an increase of 1,697 from two years earlier.

"This is a great community service for people who don't have other means," said Sherri Wasson, a second-year nursing student at Calhoun Community College.

No one knows that more than Carol Payne, who celebrated her 64th birthday Saturday. A party for the Decatur woman might have fizzled if not for the clinic.

A diabetic, Payne went eight months without medicine or insulin after she lost her disability and Medicaid, for reasons, she said, officials never explained.

"Someone referred us to the clinic more than a year ago, and I was so grateful to find them," she said. "They went out of their way to really help me. I went every week at first because I was in bad shape. Now, I normally go every three months."

Payne is among about 3,000 people who have come through the clinic on Jackson Street Southeast since it opened March 23, 2004.

Today, there are about 700 active patients. All of the health care services and medications are free for those who can't afford insurance.

Charlene White, 35, of Hartselle, was seeing a doctor in Arab who had worked with Cherie Stanford, a paid part-time nurse practitioner at the clinic.

"He reminded her I was on a fixed income," White said. "I had fibromyalgia and couldn't walk. I was at a loss, and didn't have a clue as to what to do next."

White, the mother of two sons, began coming to the clinic six months ago and is back on her feet. She works at Hardee's in Hartselle and attends Calhoun Community College three nights a week. She has one semester left in the school's cosmetology program.

"The clinic has been a blessing," she said. "It relieves your mind to know that you can come here and get medicine. I have also used their dental program."

Household income

Debbie Roche, executive director, said the clinic requires that people show their household income, which is used to determine qualifications.

"We're seeing more people because of the downturn in the economy, and layoffs and job losses," she said. "There's been an increase in unemployment versus wages. Some households list their incomes as unemployment."

She said the clinic received 3,558 patient visits in 2009. That number increased by more than 1,000 to 4,679 in 2010, before increasing again in 2011 to the 5,255 visits. One patient can account for multiple visits.

This year, a one-family household with a gross income of $22,340 qualifies for help from the clinic. The cutoff for a two-member household is $30,260. An eight-member household can make as much as $77,780.

The clinic is housed on 10,000 square feet of the lower floor of the two-story St. John's Episcopal Outreach Center.

"The church gives us the space rent free for the life of the clinic," Roche said. "We share a quarterly maintenance with the church and PACT."

In addition to Parents and Children Together, the Boys and Girls Club of Morgan County occupies an upstairs office in the building that began as the Baugh-Wiley-Smith Hospital.

Roche, office manager Patsy Roby and bookkeeper Caroline Hobbs are the clinic's only paid staffers. There are two paid part-time employees. More than 150 active volunteers, including doctors, dentists, nurses and clerical workers, average about 10,000 hours per year.

Ray Norris, 75, who formerly owned Modern Apothecary, is the clinic's supervising pharmacist. Bess Newsom, 91, who assisted him at the apothecary for the 37 years he owned the business, assists him at the clinic, along with Jim Arndt, and Willard Burt, 83. Arndt formerly owned Medical Arts, and Burt operated Burt's Drugs.More than $1M in drugs

Roche said the clinic dispenses more than $1 million in free drugs to patients each year. In addition to pharmaceutical companies donating through a charity care program, doctors bring medicine from their offices.

But despite the gifts, Roche said, drugs remain the clinic's largest item in its $1.6 million budget.

"We have to purchase the shortfall or specific drugs that are not available," she said. "For example, we have to buy diabetic test strips, which are a huge expense. And drug companies cannot supply us with brand products after they go generic."

Ten doctors volunteer their time in rotating shifts at the clinic Tuesdays and Thursdays, beginning at 4 p.m. Four dentists rotate in manning the dental clinic Friday from 8 a.m. to noon.

Dr. Scott Harris, 46, an internist with a specialty in infectious diseases, is medical director. He was board chairman for the first three years when a group of doctors established the clinic.

"The whole concept was to take care of our people in a place where you can come with some dignity with appropriate support of the community," he said. "I think about the people who come at a critical time in their lives. Some have chronic diseases."

Harris said the majority of those who visit the clinic are already familiar with their own health problems.

"They just don't have the means to take care of them," he said. "They can't afford to see a physician or have their medicine refilled. Our hope is to see them graduate from the clinic."

Dr. Dyrc Sibrans, 75, who once reviewed charts at the clinic with a team of retired physicians, is now seeing patients. He practiced in Decatur for 30 years before retiring in 2000.

"I've kept my licenses up and I can work as long as it's volunteer work," he said.

Malpractice insurance

State Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, helped pass legislation that covers doctors' malpractice insurance as volunteers under the Alabama Department of Public Health.

The facility is a clinical rotation site with second-year nursing students at Calhoun Community College. Wasson of Athens and Rebecca Kinnebrew of Huntsville worked in triage Thursday.

"I'm honored to go to Calhoun and get to go to all of the clinicals," Wasson said. "I have learned more than I expected to learn."

Kinnebrew said she benefited immensely from her one day at the clinic.

"It's interesting to hear and listen to the doctors narrow down the complaints to get a diagnosis," she said. "It's helped me with my own assessment techniques."

If you need help

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Community Free Clinic of Morgan County.

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245 Jackson St. S.E., Decatur.

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256-309-5617.

Clinic fundraiser

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Fish dinner with roasted and raw oysters.

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April 13, 6 p.m.City View Farms.

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$55 per ticket. Call 256-309-2491.

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(c)2012 The Decatur Daily (Decatur, Ala.)

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