Tag Archives: Charity Clinics

Faith Family Clinic recognizes medical volunteers and prepares for healthcare reform

By North SA Chamber Editor
Posted on by Email to a Friend

FFClinic logoDo you remember working without the benefit of medical insurance?  For 394,000 people in San Antonio that is still a reality.  Since 2009 Faith Family Clinic has provided affordable medical care to the working uninsured families in San Antonio.  Much of our support has come through the generous contributions of our medical professionals who have volunteered their time and skills to help hard working families who do not have medical insurance and thus rely on the emergency room for non-emergency medical care.

Our Annual Celebration and Volunteer Recognition on October 17th highlighted the efforts of Dilma C. Ruiz, MD and David W. Person, MD.  Dr. Ruiz is a general surgeon and has provided exceptional medical services and performed procedures that our patients would otherwise not have received.  Likewise, Dr. Person is a noted plastic surgeon working on the hand and wrist.  Both of these have provided quality care for the working uninsured as they volunteered their time and talents with Faith Family Clinic.

The use of volunteers has allowed Faith Family Clinic to expand our medical services and keep our costs within reach of lower income families. Many medical professionals have become weary of the “business” of medicine.  By choosing to volunteer at Faith Family Clinic, they return to their first love which is to care for people in an unhurried environment.  The word medicine comes from the Latin meaning the art of healing.  Faith Family Clinic puts the relationship back in the doctor-patient exchange and it is no longer about dollars and data but a serious inquiry into wellbeing and wholeness.

The Affordable Care Act is certainly a hot topic these days. However, health and wholeness cannot be relegated to the domain of the affluent.  San Antonio has many small businesses that will struggle to provide medical benefits.  There are also many part time employees (less than 30 hours per week) that will struggle to find insurance they can afford.  While we are still in the first weeks of the Healthcare Exchange, we already see many of our patients seeking help in how to find the right kind of insurance for their family and one which they can afford.

We have implemented a program that we believe can provide gap coverage to those less expensive major medical policies that have a higher deductible. MemberCare is a membership approach to primary medical care.  For a monthly fee of $50 a person or $100 a family, MemberCare will provide medical care in one of our clinics with no other costs.  No co-pays for office visits and no cost for lab work, x-rays, physicals or other services we provide in the clinic.

Several insurance carriers are now working with us to recommend MemberCare for many clients that are considering a Bronze level high deductible policy. Now, lower paid employees can have quality primary care and never worry about spending $5,000 to $6,500 on their deductible before insurance ever kicks in.  Since the Bronze plan will only cover 60% of medical expenses, there will be a lot of cost to absorb.  However, with MemberCare your primary medical care is only $650 a year for one person or $1,200 a year for the family.  Send us an email at membercare@faithfamilyclinic.org or check out our website at www.faithfamilyclinic.org for more information.

The uninsured in San Antonio will still be a sizeable population and that number is estimated at 30 million people nationally. Undocumented immigrants will not qualify and will continue to have medical needs that must be addressed.  Other legal immigrants will seek affordable medical care and those who earn less than the poverty level (family of 4 earning less than $23,550) will not be eligible for a tax credit.

Charity clinics such as Faith Family Clinic are unique in that they do NOT receive government funding to provide medical care. Julie Darnell is the foremost authority on free and charitable clinics and has described these clinics as “gap fillers”.  We are also distinguished because we are truly community supported.

To learn more about MemberCare or how we provide affordable medical care to low income working families, contact Jim Young at jyoung@faithfamilyclinic.org or call 210-653-1511 x207.

#FaithFamilyClinic – Serving the Working Uninsured

By North SA Chamber Editor
Posted on by Email to a Friend

FFClinic logoI never saw a burning bush or heard the voice of God, but the moment she said, “We’ll take care of you” a peace came over me and I felt that God was telling me in a soft, tender whisper, “I am here.” Because of the way I was treated at Faith Family Clinic, with respect and like I was their family, I now carry that same hope and the spirit of true giving to others. Thank you for saving my life and being a part of my life. (William)

The Texas Medical Association reports that 33% of adults in Texas do NOT have medical insurance and we all know that eventually all will become ill and need medical care.  Too often people without insurance will use the most expensive care available – a hospital emergency room!  The vicious cycle is described by the Texas State Comptroller’s office in a 2005 special report, Texas Uninsured: A Hidden Burden on Texas Employers and Communities.

Faith Family Clinic was established as a non-profit medical clinic in 2009 in an effort to provide primary medical care that addresses the issue of spiritual, physical, emotional and social healing.  Using employed physicians as well as volunteers who live out their faith in medical missions, we seek to provide a level of care that compares to those with more expensive insurance policies.

With ObamaCare on the horizon, we are often asked if charity clinics will still be needed. My answer is a definite, “Yes!” We know there are gaps in every system and Faith Family Clinic works with all of the hospitals to meet the needs of families who need a primary care doctor they can afford.  The gaps in healthcare legislation will include many that are part-time employees; others will work for a business that does not provide insurance and even more employees who are not eligible.  Since we are solely supported by our community and do not receive federal funds, we provide a unique service for low income working families by medical providers  that low income workers can afford.

For the Christian Church, Luke 10:2 is often quoted as a missions passage to encourage Christ followers to engage the community as a positive influence. Then in verse 9 we see the admonition to “heal the sick that are there and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you.’  Much of the healing process is that there is some good news or sense of hope that permeates the physician-patient relationship.  Hope is always at the core of good faith and good medicine and we practice both in our clinics.  We treat patients from all walks of life, faith traditions and those for whom faith is not important.  We believe that everyone should be treated with compassion, respect and expertise.

Our mission is to serve the working uninsured and we offer comprehensive primary care, from treating the common cold to chronic disease management such as diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, heart disease, asthma and many others.  Our facilities include x-ray capabilities, sonograms, cardiac treadmill stress tests, diabetic ophthalmology and most laboratory services.  Our physicians are board certified and serve as adjunct faculty at UT Health Science Center San Antonio.  We also serve as clinical preceptorships for UTHSCSA, UIW, UTMB Galveston and Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

For the past year we have been offering a special benefit to those businesses and individuals who choose to sign up with our MemberCare program.  This is not insurance but a direct care membership much like a gym membership that is ongoing but can be cancelled with a 30-day notice.  Participants get the benefit of unlimited primary care for the small monthly fee of $50 for an individual or $100 for the family.  Prevention is the key to good health and our services include an annual physical, wellness assessments, lab work, counseling and certain radiology procedures.

Faith Family Clinic is a community response to the healthcare crisis!  We believe that the community can provide viable solutions to our healthcare needs and Faith Family Clinic is an example of what community support can accomplish.  Consider joining our team as a patient, a volunteer or as a donor (and yes, some serve in all three capacities).

For more information contact, Jim Young, Executive Director at (210) 653-1511, x207 • jyoung@faithfamilyclinic.org