NEWS FEED
The 2009 GFCN Award Winners
In conjunction with the recent Annual Conference in Atlanta, officials with the Georgia Free Clinic Network presented the 2009 Awards to three very deserving recipients.
Dr. Robert Copeland, a LaGrange physician and founder of the Troup Cares Medical Clinic, was the first recipient of the Network's Champion of Free Clinics Award. This award was created this year to honor an individual whose dedication to and achievement in serving the healthcare needs of the working poor and uninsured provide an outstanding service and leadership model.
Gainesville state Sen. Lee Hawkins, a dentist, was the first recipient of the President's Award for leadership in assisting the uninsured. The Georgia Free Clinic Network presented Hawkins the award to thank him for serving the healthcare needs of the working poor and uninsured through legislation in the Georgia General Assembly, and as a volunteer at the Green Warren dental clinic at the Good News Clinics in Gainesville.
The Healthcare Georgia Foundation was presented with the GFCN Partnership Award, which honors corporations or businesses that have contributed significantly to either GFCN or the clinics. No other organization has had the impact that Healthcare Georgia Foundation has had on the state's free clinic movement, the Georgia Free Clinic Network, and the patients we serve.
Sales Tax Exemption Legislation
This law passed in 2008 and provides for an exemption from state sales and use taxes on sales to certain nonprofit volunteer health clinics:
"For the period commencing July 1, 2008, and ending June 30, 2010, sales of tangible personal property and services to a nonprofit volunteer health clinic which primarily treats indigent persons with incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level and which property and services are used exclusively by such volunteer health clinic in performing a general treatment function in this state when such volunteer health clinic is a tax exempt organization under the Internal Revenue Code and obtains an exemption determination letter from the commissioner."
Click here to find out how to apply for the sales tax exemption.
Georgia Composite Board of Medical Examiners and the Georgia Board of Dentistry Adopt Rule Changes for Continuing Education Credits for Volunteers
At recent meetings of both the Composite State Board of Medical Examiners and the Georgia Board of Dentistry, the members adopted proposed rule changes for continuing education credits. The Medical Board voted to waive one hour CME requirement for physicians for each four hours of documented work volunteering at a non-profit agency which provides medical services to indigent patients, such as charitable clinics. Physicians may earn up to 10 hrs of CME credits per biennium.
The Dental Board approved up to ten hours of continuing education per biennium. Dentists may receive one hour of CE for every four hours of volunteer work. In order to receive the waiver, the physicians and dentists shall submit to the appropriate Baords, the documentation of the work at the time of their license renewal.
We will keep you informed as more information becomes available regarding this change. GFCN would like to thank Sen. Lee Hawkins of Gainesville for his help on this issue.
