Charleston's free health clinic sees more and more patients eachyear, a trend that both gratifies and dismays executive director PatWhite. Last year, the Washington Street East clinic treated morethan 14,000 patients, encompassing 44,000 clinic visits. Volunteerstaff filled 91,000 prescriptions, worth about $8 million. Abouthalf of those medicines went to people 65 and older.
'Our patients are appreciative of the service,' says White, aformer state legislator who has headed Health Right since its 1982inception. 'I love my job. I can't imagine doing somethingdifferent. But it also makes you wonder about the richest nation inthe world having so many people fighting for their lives, withoutaccess to medical care.'
In 1984, a total of 1,620 people visited Health Right. The clinicaveraged 29 patients a day. Now it sees more than 160 a day in amodern, brick building that opened in November of 1999.
Those patients seem to grow sicker each year, she said. They showup with progressed chronic ailments, including heart disease anddiabetes.
'It takes longer to get them stabilized than it used to,' saidWhite. 'It's a lot more labor intensive.'
Federal welfare reform enacted a few years ago has also driven upHealth Right's numbers, White says. The approximately 75,000 statefamilies no longer on welfare assistance are going somewhere forhealth care, White says.
'Where they're primarily going is to free clinics,' she said.'We're finding that in many instances their health status isn't asgood as we might have hoped.'
But in the face of the increased demand, Health Right isexpanding its services. White and her volunteer staff are drawing upplans to offer free adult dental care, recruiting volunteerdentists.
They have applied for funding from the greater Kanawha ValleyFoundation, United Way and the Benedum Foundation. White said HealthRight is also trying to offer more health education services, suchas smoking cessation classes.
Health Right already offers free eye exams and glasses throughthe optical supply business Lens Crafters.
The clinic is open two evenings a week, including every otherTuesday night. It is also open some Saturdays. White said itsaverage service time is about 62 hours a week. Health Right uses theservices of 106 physician volunteers.
'Even when you go to a hospital emergency room it's not the sameas having a doctor,' White said. 'And here a nurse practitioner cantell you 'This is how you take insulin, this is why you're onmedication for your heart condition.''
Health Right's budget ran $650,000 last year, White said. Itsmedicines and physician labor are donated, of course.
The clinic draws money from a West Virginia Department of Healthand Human Resources line item, United Way, and other charities andfoundations. Health Right's board also conducts an annual fund-raiser that produces about $100,000, she said.
'It's a continual effort,' she said. 'We have nobody to bill.'
