Our Stories
Good News ClinicsGAINESVILLE, GEORGIA
Hope for the Hopeless: Georgia's Largest Free Clinic
A 49 year-old woman being treated for diabetes, asthma and hypertension, lost her job due to company downsizing. She knew how critical ongoing medical care and medications were to her health, but having lost health insurance for the first time in her life, she had no idea where to turn. Then a friend told her about the Good News Clinics. After her first visit, as she was picking up her medications from the on-site dispensary, she cried. She had no idea so many people cared about her and others without insurance. After being a patient for ten months, she found a job with medical insurance. She came back to the clinic recently to thank the staff and made a donation to help others. The Good News Clinics is a Christian ministry that provides completely free medical, dental and pharmacy services to Hall County residents who have no other source for care.
Started in 1992, it is the largest free clinic in Georgia and is funded completely by donations and volunteers from the community. It is open 8:30-5:00, Monday through Friday. To qualify, a person must not have any type of insurance, not be eligible for Medicaid or Medicare, and have income no greater than 150 percent of the federally-defined poverty level.
Located in Gainesville, the clinic provides acute and longterm care to chronically ill people with multiple and complex medical and dental problems that would otherwise, and repeatedly, end up in the emergency room.
Dr. Antonio Rios, an internist, is on the Board of the GNC and volunteers frequently. "I can see that the burden of chronic diseases in our society is high and on the rise. As everyone knows, access to health care does not go parallel to this increase. There is a large segment of the population that is not served by any of the public or private health sources, and this is where Good News Clinic comes in. It has evolved into a model that other places are trying to follow."
In their most recent fiscal year, October 2006 to September 2007, the Good News Clinics’ medical and dental patient visits totaled 15,692. Over 62,000 prescriptions were filled for a total retail value of over $3.3 million. Volunteer services including physician, dentist and other professionals were valued at over $6 million.
"Most health care workers in Hall County are very familiar with the name of Good News Clinic. This is because of the incredible work this organization does. When people are kept out of the emergency department, and out of the hospital, this translates into significant savings for the community," says Dr. Rios.
"Volunteering in this clinic is one of the most rewarding activities in my professional life. It does not cease to impress me how a group of dedicated, concerned citizens, fueled by their passion to serve, can do so much."
By Donna Looper, Executive Director of the Georgia Free Clinic Network
Published in Volume 96, Issue 4 of the Journal of the Medical Association of Georgia (p.29)
