Providing healing and hope to the working poor

Newsletter for
Fall, 2004

BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHANGES

The Free Clinic Board of Directors has undergone several changes in membership over the last few months. The addition of four new members and resignations of two long time members have occurred.

Four new members will be joining the Board on September 15, 2004 for three-year terms. They are: Fred Blanchard, RPh, Director of Centra Health's pharmacy operation; Joe Payne, Director of Community Health & Wellness at Centra Health Services; Mark Johnson, Director of Lynchburg's Social Services Office; and Dave Gardner, Financial Advisor with Flippen, Bruce, and Porter. Each of these individuals has been a dedicated member of the MedsHelp Board of Directors, and each has a particular needed expertise to offer to the Free Clinic Board. The staff and board members welcome them to the team!

Katie Mitchell and Mary Faulconer, RPh, have moved to Florida and Kentucky respectively. Katie and her husband Jerry, a Free Clinic volunteer, honorary "Vice President for Construction" moved to their "ideal" retirement home in the Orlando area. Mary and her husband Brian, who also served as a volunteer pharmacist at the clinic, moved to Kentucky due to a better employment opportunity. The staff and board members will miss seeing all four of these individuals on a regular basis.

The officers for the Board of Directors for 2004-2005 are: Abigail Haney - President; Kathryn Mays - Vice President; Bob Flint - Secretary; Stuart Turille -Treasurer; Dean Gianakos, M.D. - Medical Director.

MEDSHELPS/FC MERGER NEARLY COMPLETED

The staff and board members have been working enthusiastically the past three months in order to successfully bring the MedsHelp program into the Free Clinic's array of services. The program will be known as MedsHelp at the Free Clinic, and Robin Turner (pictured above) will continue to serve as the Program Coordinator. She will report to Yolonda Johnson, RPT, who is the Pharmacy Coordinator at the Free Clinic.

The space is being prepared, telephones are on order, and the computer lines are being installed. The incorporation documents are being drawn up and the eligibility criteria are being updated and revise for both programs.

It is planned that the physical move to the Free Clinic site from the Johnson Health Center will occur as early as September 7 and no later than October 1 depending on the site preparation schedule. All patient services will be maintained as steadily as possible during this "switchover".

Free Clinic Board Members In the Spotlight

Three Board of Directors members who have served very effectively over a number of years are being highlighted this month. William "Sandy" Carrington has served as a director since 1993 He has served as a member of the Budget/Finance and Fundraising Committees. Robert Crowder has served as a director since 1987 He has also served as Chair of the Personnel Committee. Robert "Bob" Flint began his tenure on the Board in 1994. He currently serves as the Chair of the Building Committee and a member of the Budget/Finance Committee.

FUNDRAISERS - PARTY PARADE

The Free Clinic has been and will be making a major effort with NEW fundraisers in 2004-2005. This is necessary due to the temporary loss of $20,000 plus in "unrestricted" income from the Smith Mountain Lake Charity Home Tour in this fiscal year. We were beneficiaries in 2002 and 2003, but tour policies require that we take every third year "off". We hope to be accepted back in 2005.

The first fundraiser, a Lynchburg Party Parade event, was held on Thursday evening, August 26 at Calvin Falwell Field at City Stadium. It was a Hillcats baseball game. Six generous companies gave their new skyboxes to the Free Clinic for the night: AREVA; Bankers Steel, Milton Realty, The Counts Company, Lakewood Farm, and an anonymous donor. The Free Clinic sold 90 tickets at $30 each and raffled off a color television to raise over $3,000. A major local corporation also donated the food and beverages available in the skyboxes throughout the evening.

The second event, the James River BBQ will be held on September 24-25 at the Riverfront. The Free Clinic will provide 100+ volunteer hours to work at the event in exchange for a donation from Community First Bank, the event sponsor.

The third fundraiser, another Lynchburg Party Parade event, will be held on Saturday evening, October 2nd from 7:30-10:30 PM at the Boonsboro Ruritan Club on Coffee Road. It is a Big Band Music Night with music by Vivian Hudson and the Starlighters. A cash bar and free snacks will also be offered. Tickets are $30/person, and they may be purchased at

Tom Jones Drugs, Givens Bookstore, the Free Clinic or from any board or staff member. There will be a Silent Auction at the event. It is planned that over $3,500 will be raised at this event.

Please consider coming out and supporting the Free Clinic.

1) University of Virginia – Chris Webb – Nurse Practitioner

2) Liberty University - Beth Brown and Rebecca Proctor - Nurses

3) Lynchburg College –Heather Fay & Shannon Gaines- Office workers & Screeners; Michelle Dawson-Community Health

5) National Business College - Priscilla Milton and Tina Chitum- Pharmacy Technicians

6) Miller Motte Business College – Lois Floyd – Phlebotomist; Tara Brown – Medical Assistant;

We thank and wish good luck to all the Summer 2004 interns and college student volunteers who have returned to their campuses throughout Virginia and the United States.

FREE CLINIC/VCU SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY PROGRAM

UPDATE

This program conducted in coordination with the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry completed its first year on July 16, 2004. All goals for the program were successfully and effectively achieved:

1) 1,500 additional visits was achieved as 683 persons filled 1,518 appointments for dental exams, dental hygiene, restorative work, and extractions. This rate was five times the number ever previously served at the Free Clinic.

2) The "no show" rate was only 4.8%, which is outstanding.

3) 1,230 patients were seen by a dentist a

4) 288 patients were seen by a dental hygienist.

5) The dentist externs completed 657 dental exams, 651 restorations, and 453 extractions.

Twenty two licensed dentist mentors/professors from Central Virginia donated 716.75 hours of supervisory work.

The student externs worked 2,895.75 hours with 2,129 hours provided by dentist externs and 718.75 hours provided by dental hygienist externs.

The program began its second year August 26, 2004. It is partially funded by the Virginia Health Care Foundation in Richmond (VHCF)

BREAST CANCER PROGRAM UPDATE

This program, which is funded by the Susan G. Komen Foundation, was scheduled to start in February 2004. Although we had a "kick off" event on the 14th (Valentine's Day), the full program did not fully begin until the middle of March. In the five plus months since its initiation, the Free Clinic has conducted 9 outreach programs reaching approximately 227 persons. There have also been 2 in-house educational programs that have included 6 patients. Seventy-six women have completed mammograms versus only 56 for the entire year of 2003. It is anticipated that the goal of this program will be achieved by February 2005.

I could have danced all night..............

A Party Parade Event

A BENEFIT DANCE

ALL PROCEEDS GO TO The Free Clinic of Central Virginia, Inc.

PLEASE HELP 

The Free Clinic Needs Your Financial Gifts. 
We thank you for your consideration: 
The Free Clinic of Central Virginia
1016 Main Street
Lynchburg, Virginia 24504