Rhode Island has the highest percentage of uninsured adults of any state in New England. Think about that for a moment. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently found that the percentage of uninsured in this state ranges from 13.9 percent to 21.4 percent. This is nearly double the rate in other states in the region.
That means between 139,000 and 214,000 of our friends and neighbors do not have any financial protection against treatment for illness, disease or accidents. One out of every five Rhode Islanders is walking around hoping he or she does not get sick. Or, if these people have a chronic condition like high blood pressure, diabetes or asthma, they are hoping their illnesses don’t get worse.
What can be done? The good news is, help is available in Rhode Island. The Rhode Island Free Clinic (RIFC) is one of several options available to people who have health needs but no insurance. What makes the Rhode Island Free Clinic different? It is our use of more than 250 volunteer professionals to treat our patients absolutely free of charge.
In 2009, we provided more than 4,000 patient visits and expect that number to double by the end of this year. Since this nonprofit organization has only eight paid staff members and a dedicated board of directors, volunteers play an important role in providing care.
Our roster includes physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, nurses, counselors, students and other members of the community. RIFC partners with Lifespan and other statewide hospitals, the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, the University of Rhode Island and other area institutions, and community agencies to offer primary care, behavioral-health treatment and services in more than a dozen specialties.
We offer free prescriptions covering about 70 of the most commonly prescribed drugs. Our patients are treated in one of our six modern exam rooms, four counseling rooms, and a state-of-the-art eye clinic. We have a podiatry suite and a blood-drawing station. We also have a network of providers in communities throughout the state who will provide free care to qualified patients in their own offices.
At his inauguration, President Obama spoke about personal responsibility and about service as something that everyone should do throughout their lives. At RIFC, service is recognized as a strategy to solve problems. Our volunteers work together to coordinate health care for the neediest of individuals and reduce the growing number of uninsured in our state. It is a team effort. From the first visit with the medical provider to sessions with the pharmacist, diabetes educator, exercise instructor, mental health counselor and others, patients are provided with opportunities to take care of their health. Our dedicated volunteer professionals know that their hours of service make a difference to every patient they treat.
The Rhode Island Free Clinic, founded 11 years ago by Stephanie Chafee, is honored to be cited in a 2010 book by Shirley Sagawa, “The American Way to Change: How National Service and Volunteers are Transforming America.”
In it, the author selects RIFC as one of 25 “Models With Promise” from around the country. She writes, “At the RIFC, volunteers are improving the health and well-being of our community and delivering free services from patient care to data entry to Spanish interpreting for uninsured adults.”
Preventive care is always the best medicine. The Rhode Island Free Clinic’s goal is to be open more hours and to see more patients. We strive to treat small problems before they become major illnesses. Also, we want to help those with chronic illnesses get them under control. Yes, national health-care reform is coming. However, it is many years away.
The greatest wish of those of us at the Rhode Island Free Clinic is that our services will no longer be needed and we can close our doors. However the economy, underemployment, and lack of insurance for many working Rhode Islanders tell us that won’t be happening any time soon.
The Rhode Island Free Clinic is proud to be part of the solution to our state’s problem of providing health care to the uninsured. As the year 2011 dawns, many of us are looking inward to say, “This is the year I am going to get involved. This is the year I am going to make a difference.” As you decide what you will do and how you plan to do it, may I suggest the Rhode Island Free Clinic? Wouldn’t you like to be part of the solution, too?
Your decision to get involved and give your time and expertise would guarantee that more of our uninsured friends and neighbors would get the medical care they deserve.
Marie Ghazal is the chief executive officer of the Rhode Island Free Clinic.
http://www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/content/CT_ghazal17_12-17-10_D4LF5UJ_v9.375fbb3.html