A volunteer for the past four years, Dr. Cullum has been a blessing to our patients and their struggle with chronic diseases.  He routinely visits the clinic every week seeing an average of 9-12 patients with a caring spirit, sense of humor and witty personality.  We thank him for his many years of service to our patients and are honored to have been blessed by his presence.

Pharmacy — Matthew Dunkin

For the past two years, Matt has served as an exceptional volunteer.  He is willing to do anything asked of him — whether filling prescriptions, breaking down baskets or verifying income for our PAP program.  Most importantly, he loves helping others and we are very grateful for his selfless service and devotion.

Nursing — Haley Smith

A volunteer since last year, Haley provided direct patient care and administrative support in our nursing area.  Haley’s volunteerism began as a clinical assignment, but things quickly changed as she began to help with patient education and coordinating referrals.

Administrative — David Claybrook

David has been a dedicated volunteer for the past year, working each week to enter patient data into the web-based SCHIEx database.  He is very dependable and committed to the mission of the clinic.

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

Partners of The Free Medical Clinic ($100 to $249) - 2011

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.  Tony Clyburn, B106.7 star, served as the master of ceremonies and the food was outstanding.  Thank you to our sponsors, performers, individuals and businesses that donated to our silent auction, donors and those who attended the event.  Special thanks to Mrs. Cassie Taylor and her committee for their help with the silent auction providing artwork, vacation packages, gift certificates and more.  Extra special thanks to Mr. Barry Hill and the entire Centura College Staff for volunteering their time to be a hosts and hostess of the event and Going Commando for the use of their sound system.  Missed your chance to attend?  Don’t worry – we’re doing it again on Thursday, November 15, 2012.

Sponsors of the Doctors Lounge Fundraiser

The Doctors Lounge Fundraiser Performers

PROVIDERS:

Our providers include physicians and nurse practitioners. This group logged in 1,774 volunteer hours, not counting the specialty physicians that see our patients in their own offices. Our specialty network of volunteers provided 1,158 referrals in 24 different specialties. Read More – >

PHARMACY:

Pharmacy volunteers, including pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy students, logged in 3,824 hours of service. We are very fortunate to have a team of pharmacists who care about our patients and the community they serve. Read More – >

NURSING:

Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Nursing Assistants, Medical Students and others logged in 6,940 volunteers hours this year. Our volunteer nurses brighten patients’ experiences by adding warmth and a personal touch to what maybe a stressful time for patients and their families and friends. Read More – >

ADMINISTRATIVE:

This group includes students, clerical volunteers, board members, event volunteers and large groups. They logged in 4,976 hours of service to the clinic. Our administrative volunteers provide dependable, efficient assistance to our staff, allowing them to better focus on providing excellent medical care. In addition to individual volunteers, we continue to enjoy partnerships with the University of South Carolina, United Way of the Midlands, South University, Midlands Technical College, Centura, Fortis, Remington College, Benedict College, Virginia College and many faith communities and civic organizations. We appreciate all of our volunteers and thank them immensely for their effort to Help Us Meet the Need. Read More – >

In 2011, our volunteers provided 17,514 hours of service.

If a dollar value was placed on the services provided by ourvolunteers, the amount would exceed $819,044.

• Providers – 64
• Specialists – 130
• Nursing – 406
• Pharmacists – 15
• Pharmacy Techs – 273
• Administrative – 353

Total Volunteers – 1,241

Volunteer orientation sessions are scheduled regularly, as listed below. Dates and times are subject to change, so please contact Sandy Earles at 765-1503, Ext. 205 or by email at volunteer@freemedclinic.org  to register for volunteer orientation.

Since opening in May 1984, volunteers have been the foundation and crucial component to the viability of the Clinic’s operations. We are extremely grateful for our volunteers — without them, we would not be able to operate! In 2011, we had over 17,514 volunteer hours donated to enable us to provide medical services and pharmaceuticals to the indigent and uninsured in Richland and Lexington counties. Currently we have approximately 1,241 volunteers in four categories: Provider, Nursing, Pharmacist and Administrative. To get more details regarding each category, click on a link below.

Volunteer To Help The Free Medical Clinic of Columbia, SC

To volunteer, you only need to be willing to help.

The nursing volunteers run the clinical operations in support of the volunteer providers. In addition to screening patients, nursing volunteers educate patients regarding their medical condition(s) and help manage the referral process for diagnostic testing and specialty care.

To volunteer, Registered Nurses must be licensed in South Carolina.

If you are interested in providing much-needed help, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator or call is at 765-1503.

To volunteer, providers must be licensed in South Carolina. The clinic does maintain a malpractice policy for the volunteer providers. Also, uncompensated providers are covered under the state’s Good Samaritan law that limits liability except to gross negligence or willful misconduct.

If you are interested in providing much-needed help, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@freemedclinic.org or call 765-1503.