Sponsorship opportunities soon!
2024 Awardees
Founders’ Award Honoree
For years, Lifespan has been a resource for direct financial support and expert in-kind support provided to the Free Clinic. Lifespan is also a significant care delivery partner with the Free Clinic for the patients that we have in common – which are many.
Since 1999, Lifespan has partnered with and supported the RIFC to support their valuable work to provide free primary care to uninsured Rhode Islanders. Our partnership consists of a Broad range of activities including Lifespan representation on the RIFC’s Board; donation of free lab and x-ray services; IT services for RIFC’s network, internet, and recently eClinicalWorks supported by our Physician Services Organization; significant cash; and, our work together with University Emergency Medicine Foundation for Lifespan Residents to provide monthly clinics at RIFC. The RIFC provides critical health services to our most vulnerable residents and reduces the heavy burden on our emergency rooms, making Lifespan’s continued partnership with RIFC a sensible investment.
— Lifespan President and CEO George Vecchione, July 2010
We are grateful to continue this mutually beneficial partnership with Lifespan.
Physician of the Year,
Steven Brin Award Honoree
Dr. Robert Justus, MD.
Dr. Robert Justus is one of our extraordinary volunteer practitioners at the Free Clinic. Since retiring and moving east in 2018, Dr. Justus has committed – almost without fail – to one shift a week at RIFC, seeing patients and mentoring medical students. He will tell you the gratitude he feels from patients and his work with the students is all the payment he needs.
Dr. Justus will receive the Steven Brin Physician of the Year award which recognizes a doctor or dentist who donates their time regularly for at least 3 years; consistently delivers highly skilled, culturally competent, compassionate, patient-centered care; is committed to empowering whole patient wellness at the level of the mind, body, and spirit; is appreciated and admired by the extended medical community, Clinic patients, staff, students, interns and volunteers; and, who serve as a mentor and/or role model for others.
What started in Washington state with his volunteer efforts at free clinic in Tacoma, to his 30-plus year commitment to WAMI and Confluence Health shows clearly that practicing family medicine was not just a job, but a true vocation.
We are grateful for Dr. Justus’s continued service and commitment to the Rhode Island Free Clinic.
