Free clinic launching fundraising effort

Dothan’s only free clinic continues to serve patients, but its future remains unknown as operators try to figure out how to replace a $150,000 funding source.

The Family Health Clinic, located in the Mixson Business Center on West Main Street just behind Subway, has been in existence for eight years and has been staffed with a physician for the past four years. It is in the process of launching a fundraising campaign to keep the clinic open next year with a doctor and prescription assistant on staff.

Linda O’Connell, executive director of the Alfred Saliba Family Services Center, said it will be challenging to raise that much money from a community already flooded with fundraising requests.

“Our fundraising committee is still continuing to meet and devise ideas,” O’Connell said.

Around $150,000 of the clinic’s $300,000 operating budget had been provided by a 3-year grant from the Wiregrass Foundation. The money was mostly used to fund the staff physician position. The grant was extended an extra year with the understanding the clinic would have to find a different means of funding by the end of the year.

In addition to a staff physician, Dr. Harriet Searcy, the clinic has two other staff members. The clinic logged more than 3,600 appointments in 2008, The clinic is designed to treat patients between 18 and 64 who meet certain poverty guidelines. O’Connell said it is not equipped to treat children or patients with Medicaid, Medicare or patients with disability benefits or who have applied for disability benefits.

O’Connell said several options are currently being considered if the fundraising goal is not met. She said the clinic could continue operating next year, but without all of the services currently being offered. Also, O’Connell said the clinic could apply to become a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in order to receive federal funds. Currently, the clinic treats patients between 18 and 64 who meet certain poverty guidelines. If it receives FQHC funds, then it would be required to treat Medicaid recipients as well.

“That is not what we were originally designed to do, but if it comes down to us closing our doors or doing this, we have to do what we have to do,’ O’Connell said.

Also, O’Connell said the possibility of healthcare reform legislation passing this fall could have a huge impact on the clinic. Theoretically, O’Connell said, legislation that provided healthcare for all Americans would make the need for a free clinic moot.

“There’s just so much we don’t know right now, but we’re moving forward,” O’Connell said.

For more information or to donate to fund the Family Health Clinic, contact the Alfred Saliba Family Services Center, 545 W. Main St., Ste 100, or call (334) 836-0217 Ext. 113