Funding for these clinics is a constant challenge, Dr. Okonkwo said, and is sustained primarily by donations, grants, and the support of the University of South Florida faculty who volunteer time and resources.

“Our medical students play a huge role in fundraising, applying for grants, and seeking support,” Dr. Okonkwo said, noting that the dedication of students and residents has been essential to the program’s sustainability.

Accidental Volunteer

When he’s not working his regular job at an urgent care in Columbia, S.C., David Baehren, MD, FACEP, volunteers about two days per week at a free clinic in Beaufort, S.C. Dr. Baehren not only provides care at the Good Neighbor Medical Clinic, but also serves as its medical director. The free clinic serves as a medical home for around 700 patients who would otherwise face challenges in accessing health care; it provides primary care and coordinates specialty care, lab services, imaging, and medications at no cost to patients.

Dr. Baehren was asked to lead the Good Neighbor Medical Clinic when the previous director became ill. He was reluctant. He wasn’t sure an ED background fully prepared a physician for so much primary care. He found that adapting to this new role was a natural extension of his experience.

“If you’re practicing emergency medicine, you have a lot of skills,” Dr. Baehren said. “There are a few things you need to brush up on … but it’s worth it. Our patients get just as good care as somebody who has insurance, and I get to spend more time with them, building connections that can be rare in the ED. A new patient gets an hour of my time.”

The clinic operates with significant support from a network of dedicated volunteers and Beaufort Memorial Hospital. Patients aren’t financially responsible for labs, imaging, or specialty referrals. Paid staff includes an executive director, clinical director, and volunteer coordinator. A shared hourly position and volunteer nurses and nursing students round out most of the team, along with a volunteer dietitian. One volunteer is a physician in his 70s who used to have a family practice in the building where the clinic is located.

Two Years Turned into 22

Dr. Baehren said the need for more access to affordable medical care is enormous in South Carolina, and emergency physician M. Todd Crump, MD, agreed. Dr. Crump is the medical director at The Free Medical Clinic in Columbia, S.C.