REGIONAL FOUNDATION AWARDS HEALTHCARE GRANT
Free Clinic of Danville to Receive $1.4 Million
DANVILLE, VA - (February 1, 2008) - The Danville Regional Foundation has awarded a grant of $1.4 million to the Free Clinic of Danville.
Funds will be used over five years to help the Free Clinic provide healthcare services to more uninsured people in the Danville region. "The Free Clinic has an essential role in meeting the healthcare needs of many who would otherwise go without care," said Karl Stauber, President and CEO of the Danville Regional Foundation.
Funds from the Regional Foundation will be used to help the Free Clinic stabilize its current financial situation and hire a Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Director and Executive Director as full time employees.
The Regional Foundation intends that this grant will position the Free Clinic to raise new funds so that it can increase its capacity to serve the needs of the region," added Stauber. "The goal is that, in time, the Free Clinic will become a model organization for providing medical care to low income residents."
There were 3,100 patient visits at the Free Clinic last year, but the organization does not have the capacity to meet the need. Currently, there is a six month waiting list for new patients.
The Free Clinic depends on volunteers, including physicians, nurses, lab technicians and support staff. Approximately 4,000 hours were donated by volunteers last year.
The mission of the Free Clinic is to provide primary medical care to residents of the region who do not have the resources to obtain their basic healthcare needs. The Free Clinic provides free primary medical, laboratory, gynecology services and eye exams. "Our emphasis is on preventive care, patient education and treatment of non-emergency problems," said Brent Saunders, President of the Free Clinic.
"With the significant number of uninsured in our area, there is a huge demand for our services," said Saunders. To be eligible for services, patients must be uninsured with incomes at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
"We are dedicated to the belief that everyone should have access to basic healthcare services, regardless of their financial circumstances," added Saunders. "We are grateful for the willingness of the Danville Regional Foundation to partner with us in the fulfillment of our mission to improve the health and wellness of this region. The support of the Regional Foundation will allow us to significantly shorten the waiting list for new patients and enable the Clinic to improve the quality of the lives of more people in this community," Saunders added.
As the funding from the Regional Foundation is primarily intended to facilitate the expansion of the Free Clinic's capacity, and is limited to five years, the Free Clinic must continue to rely on grants and donations from other sources to cover the expenses associated with its base operations. "While working toward sustaining a long-term expansion of our services, we will also be engaged in on-going efforts to raise the funds necessary to cover the Clinic's annual base operating expenses," said Saunders.
The Free Clinic was founded in 1993 as an outreach project by the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany. For more information about the Free Clinic, call 799-1223.
The Danville Regional Foundation seeks to develop, promote and support activities that improve the health, education and wellbeing of the residents of the City of Danville and Pittsylvania County, VA and Caswell County, NC. The Foundation has awarded approximately $19.5 million to seven non-profit organizations or government agencies since its founding in 2005.