In hard-times Flint, free clinic sets example for universal health care

In hard-times Flint, free clinic sets example for universal health care

Author: John Rummel
People's Weekly World Newspaper, 06/01/09 14:32

FLINT, Mich. — “It’s a sad story,” said Rima Kurdish, as she talked about the devastating effect the economic crisis is having on residents of this city and the surrounding county. Kurdish is executive director of the Genesee County Free Medical Clinic here, and she sees the effects of our health care crisis on a daily basis.

Flint was the birthplace of General Motors in the early 1900s, and GM long dominated the life of the city, employing nearly 80,000 people here. Now that number is down to less than 8,000.

Before the economic collapse hit home, Kurdish said, “20 to 30 percent of patients coming in to the clinic had things like a cold, things we could resolve on site. Now we see very serious issues: complications from diabetes, hypertension and more cancer cases — people who haven’t been to a doctor before and then come in with serious problems.”

This free clinic serves those whose income is under 200 percent of the federal poverty level and who have no health insurance of any kind. The clinic doesn’t charge a cent. And if someone doesn’t qualify for its services, the staff doesn’t let anyone go away without a phone number or contact, Kurdish said.

The clinic also doesn’t advertise — both because it doesn’t have the money and because if it did, it would be overwhelmed by people seeking care, she said. People come because of “word of mouth.” Unlike other free clinics, it even has a pharmacy.

http://www.pww.org/article/articleview/15839/

The last thing I want to see is underfunded clinics and nothing else.