As I begin this update, I want you to know that I am incredibly humbled to assume the mantle of leadership as the Board Chair.  I must thank Thom Salane for his tireless efforts and leadership through some challenging times of staff turnover, increasing demand for services and increased competition for funding.  With his steady hand and lots of help from amazing volunteers and superb community partners, I am very proud to present the 2011 Achievements.  While some of the significant increases  were due to the fact that last year’s challenges left us “gasping for air” in a few areas, a solid effort led by our staff showed substantial results.    

I am often asked whether there will be a need for a free clinic after 2014, when the Affordable Care Act’s implementation will be realized and “everyone” will have affordable health insurance in order to obtain needed health care services.  My response — while there should be improvements that help some our of neighbors, there will still be a vulnerable population that is desperately looking for help.  People who fall through the new cracks in the safety net system put in place.  This clinic was created to help our neighbors who suffer with health problems and need a little bit of help and a whole lot of hope.  We should be proud of our remarkable Legacy of Caring with over 153,000 medical visits and millions of dollars in medications and diabetic supplies as testimony of the efforts of those who have helped this clinic accomplish its mission over the years.  Sadly, I am confident we will have a role after 2014 — just with different challenges.  Our future is bright, but it will continue to be a struggle.  We must focus on strengthening our capabilities and increasing our efforts and resolve. I am very grateful for those who made this year’s accomplishments possible.  Without your consistent and generous support, we would have struggled mightily. For those who may be new to the area or just discovered this valuable community treasure and are willing to join our effort, I encourage

More than 600 people packed the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center on Thursday, November 17 for the 7th annual Doctors Lounge fundraiser.  The event featured live music from 12 local physicians and raised a record $50,000 through sponsorship, ticket sales and the silent auction.  The silent auction was spectacular —  over 200 items, raising over $12,000.  Read More