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As the health care debate continues nationwide, uninsured Connecticut residents can get free medical care at Hartford’s Convention Center on Feb. 3 from noon to 7 p.m.
The National Association of Free Clinics (NAFC) will be holding the fifth in a series of nationwide clinics. New Orleans, Kansas City, Mo., Little Rock, Ark., and Houston have already had these one-or-two-day, large-scale clinics held by the NAFC. At those clinics thousands of patients were seen, and more than 90 percent of them had three or more life-threatening conditions, according to a NAFC press release.
“This clinic is a way to help people get started on taking back control of their life, and their health,” said NAFC Executive Director Nicole Lamoureux. “One thing that we wanted to do when we gave these clinics is to highlight the face of the uninsured; to let people know that these people have jobs, they look just like your sister, your brother, the person you go to church with, the person who stands in the grocery line with you.”
The physicals at the clinics include HIV testing, blood pressure readings, diabetes testing, cholesterol readings, pregnancy testing, vision screenings, mental health exams and STD exams. Patients are urged to bring any medications they are taking with them, and physicians can write perscriptions on site.
“Our average patient [in past clinics] had not been to the doctor in five years, and those who did go to the doctor, well they had been using the emergency room as a place to go for their medical appointments,” Lamoureux said.
There are more than 1,200 free clinics in the U.S. available to the uninsured, according to Lamoureux, though many are unaware of their state’s resources.
“One of the most important reasons we come to cities is to connect the patients with the amazing safety net of medical care that exists […] many uninsured do not understand that these services exist in their state, and that they may be eligible for these services, so on top of the exams, it’s much more than a one-day clinic,” Lamoureux said.
The NAFC can hold these clinics due to more than 43,000 private donors across America.
The clinics have a wide demographic of participants, many of whom are employed.
“Uninsured does not equal unemployed […] 80 percent of our patients have jobs, so these people are working one or two jobs and they can’t afford the health care coverage that is in existence for them right now,” Lamoureux said.
College students can receive care and volunteer, even if they are not in nursing or other medical majors.
“We see numerous college students that not only come to the clinics to get care, but also that come to volunteer, and this is a great opportunity to give back to your community,” Lamoureux said.
Volunteers can sign up until Feb. 1 on freeclinics.us. Appointments can also be made on the Web site or by calling 1-877-233-5159. Walk-ins are on a first-come first-serve basis. Lists of local free clinics offering care year-round are also available on the site.
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