Wisconsin Association of Free & Charitable Clinics
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2023 Wisconsin Free and Charitable Clinics Week

During the week of April 3rd - 7th, WAFCC celebrated Wisconsin Free and Charitable Clinics by featuring their stories on our social media pages. Below are some of the stories we shared. Click on the clinic name in the titles to view their website!

A Quote From Findley Foundation in Milwaukee

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"The Findley Foundation is a non-profit organization that assists individuals to improve their overall health by providing Medical, Behavioral Health, Vocational Services, and Housing Resources to individuals who are most vulnerable and have the fewest resources. It is important for our organization to assist individuals and families by ensuring we are able to help them eliminate barriers to increase their quality of life. This is a testament in our aim to assist individuals in becoming healthy, healed & whole. The photo on the left are our providers & volunteers that worked at one of our COVID-19 pop-up vaccination events."

Patient Stories with New Day Women's Clinic in Delavan

"Knowing I would be a first-time dad was intimidating and a scary time for me.  I knew I wanted to be the best father I could be but didn't know how to begin.  Initially, I just wanted some help with figuring it out, but New Day has really stepped up in a way I didn't expect.  New Day has helped me along the way, not only with knowledge but also providing us with diapers, clothes, etc. so that we can focus on being parents and not worrying about all the financial hardships." 
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-Freddy, recent Dad

"New Day has helped us through some really hard times. Being pregnant with baby #4 and homeless, New Day has helped with needs for baby and the other kids. When we finally found a home, New Day was there to help us get what we needed to furnish our home. New Day has been there to help with a lot in a time of need!"
-Tabitha, recent client
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New Day Women's Clinic Staff

A Quote from St. Clare Health Clinic in La Crosse

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Dr. Paul Klas and Sandy Brekke RN of the street med team at a local encampment
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Clinic Director Kayla Kemp, RN and Dr. Sarah Brown loading medical supplies on the mobile clinic
"St. Clare Health Mission is a full-scale free clinic and we are on a roll! In August 2022, we added a 26 foot 2-exam room Rotary Mobile Clinic to our services - we saw 278 patients in our first quarter! We serve local homeless communities, partner with schools, and rural farm populations 2-3 days a week. On top of that, in the past year, our brick and mortar clinic patient volumes rose over 40% for our walk-in clinics and chronic condition clinics.  This year we hope to add another community health worker to support mobile med and ramp up our mental health services."

A Highlight from Oral Health Partnership in Green Bay

At Oral Health Partnership (OHP) our mission is to change the lives of our communities’ children through access to excellent oral health services and education. In 2022, we opened our fifth clinic and served over 11,000 unique patients in our clinics, School-Based and Hospital Programs, a yearly record! That’s thousands of kids that might not have been able to access dental care elsewhere. We are proud to be a free and charitable clinic and to work toward every child having a healthy, happy smile!
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OHP team members at a clinic open house

A Testimony from Free Clinic of Pierce & St. Croix Counties in River Falls

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Free Clinic of Pierce & St. Croix Counties Staff
"The Free Clinic of Pierce & St. Croix Counties strives to fill the healthcare gaps for the most vulnerable in our communities. The Free Clinic is building healthier communities throughout our two-county area through quality, equitable, and accessible healthcare. This past year the Free Clinic had over 875 patient visits and over 3,200 medications dispensed. We are expecting an increase in these numbers during 2023.  We have been able to do this only because of our almost 100 volunteers, which also include our physicians and pharmacists. We continue looking towards the future to ensure that we are meeting the ever-changing needs of the communities we serve."

A Quote from Health Care Network in Racine

"Health Care Network is the medical, dental, and behavioral health home for around 2,500 patients annually. As the only free and charitable clinic in Racine focused on serving the County’s low-income, uninsured residents, we are proud to provide holistic and comprehensive care for all patients. It is truly an honor to meet patients where they are and work together to restore their wellbeing. We are beyond grateful for the amazing staff, volunteers, and donors that turn HCN’s mission into reality."
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HCN staff providing dental care
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Health Care Network team at a Christmas Event

Short Story with Lake Area Free Clinic in Oconomowoc

You Saved My Life - patient story
​Last spring LAFC patient Lisa lost her son, and a month later, her sister, who was also her best friend passed away. Lisa was very depressed. As she tells it, besides going to work, she mostly just ate and slept and gained a lot of weight.

Lisa was working full-time at a grocery store. She was having trouble breathing and she had sore legs. One day, on her way into work, she fell in the grocery store parking lot, fractured two ribs and was hospitalized.

In June, Lisa lost her job and her health insurance. Her employer was good to her, but she had used up her short-term disability and her FMLA benefits and there was nothing else they could do for her.

Lisa had worked her whole life. Sometimes she held down two or three jobs at a time to make ends meet. At the time she lost her job, Lisa was in the fifth year of paying off a bankruptcy plan that was $600 per month. She knew she had to finish those payments. She had $1,000/ month from social security, but no other income. COBRA (health insurance through her former employer) would have been $650 per month – an amount she could not afford. She didn’t have access to the medical care or the medication she needed.

Lisa will turn 65 in August at which time she will be eligible for Medicare. Until that time, she had no access the medical care or the medication she needed. She just needed a bridge to get her to that point.

Lisa said, “Then I found you. You saved my life. You were able to get me my heart medications and my inhalers – enough to carry me through the year. “Then I got influenza, and I was hospitalized. I was confused and I told the hospital all kinds of things. But Crystal, my LAFC Case Manager kept in touch with me, cleared everything up and handled everything I needed. When the hospital wanted me to go home with oxygen, I couldn’t afford it. Crystal arranged for that too.”

Lisa teared up and added, “I love the volunteers at the Clinic. I thank them every time I see them. A lot of them are retired and they could just be living their lives, but they come here to take care of people like me. And the ones who still work – after work, they come here to take care of people like me. At Christmastime they even gave me a tote bag with chap stick and shampoo and toothpaste and things. “I am going to hate to leave here. I just love it here.”

A Quote From Saturday Clinic for the Uninsured in Milwaukee

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MCW student “Vaccine Volunteers,” Tobi Yusef and Preston Lewis
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"The Saturday Clinic for the Uninsured (SCU) is proud to provide 260+ Milwaukee patients with access to primary and specialty medical care, medications at low or no cost, and social services assistance. Our care is made possible by a dedicated interprofessional team of 250+ MCW medical and pharmacy student volunteers and 70+ supervising clinician volunteers as well as the support of the Medical College of Wisconsin and Ascension WI. SCU is extremely grateful for our volunteers and community partners for their help in caring for our patients.
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SCU was especially excited to partner with the Milwaukee Health Department last fall to bring vaccines to the Saturday Clinic. Anyone who is uninsured in the community can be vaccinated free of charge at the clinic’s address of 1121 E. North Avenue, Milwaukee WI 53212 on the first Saturday of every month from 10-1PM."

A Highlight from Affordable Dental Care in Madison

"​Affordable Dental Care serves the uninsured and underinsured population through quality and compassionate care. We strive to promote health equity and improve health outcomes within the communities we serve. In 2022, we completed over 6,000 procedures, with a total of nearly 3,000 patient care visits. Our services continue to be in high demand and we hope to expand our services to meet the growing need."
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Affordable Dental Care staff

A Testimony from City on a Hill Clinic in Milwaukee

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City on a Hill Care Team
"Serving the Near West Side, our compassionate clinic is dedicated to providing uninsured or underinsured individuals with easy access to essential health care and social services. Our comprehensive offerings include primary care, podiatry, vision care, behavioral health, and a monthly community health outreach . We're thrilled to announce the upcoming expansion of our behavioral and dental health services, all thanks to the unwavering generosity and support of our incredible community ."

A Patient Story from Hope Clinic and Care Center in Menasha

"Like many of the patients who walk through the doors of the Hope Clinic, this patient's health challenges were worsened by their life circumstances. One of our patients shared with the provider that they had recently moved to Wisconsin to flee an abusive relationship and having a hard time getting back on their feet. As part of our wraparound care approach, we were able to get the patient into our social assistance program and set up an appointment to see one of our counselors. During a challenging time in their life, the patient stated how incredibly grateful they were not only for the excellent healthcare services but also for the care and kindness extended to them by HCC staff."
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Hope Clinic and Care Center staff

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  • Who we are
    • History & Mission
    • Board and Staff >
      • Board Documents
    • Donate Today
    • Our Partners
    • Contact Us
  • What We Do
    • Advocacy
    • AmeriCorps Programs >
      • Public Service Opportunities
      • VISTA Program
      • Public Health AmeriCorps
      • AmeriCorps FAQs
      • Current Members
    • Standards Program >
      • Standards of Excellence
      • Seals of Excellence
    • Telehealth
    • Monthly Webinars
  • For Patients
    • Find a Clinic
  • For Members
    • WAFCC/VHCP Enrollment
    • Join Us >
      • Our members
    • Member Log in >
      • Past Webinar Recordings
      • FCC Leaders' Call Information
  • News & Events
    • News
    • Events >
      • 2023 WAFCC on the Road Recap
      • FCC Week 2023