Free Clinic Association rebrands as Pennsylvania Charitable Healthcare Coalition

HARRISBURG, PA, July 9, 2024 (PittsburghNewsWire.com) — Launching a statewide call for volunteer talent and medical professionals, the Free Clinic Association of Pennsylvania today announced a rebrand, as the organization is relaunched as the Pennsylvania Charitable Healthcare Coalition. The organization represents charitable healthcare providers across Pennsylvania that fill a critical role, providing high-quality, free care for people who are under-insured or uninsured and lack access to care.

 

“Today, we’ve announced a rebrand that captures the essence of our life-changing work and launched a statewide call for volunteers to help us meet the growing needs of our communities,” said executive director Kristen Houser Rapp. “With more than 50 providers operating in the Commonwealth, free and charitable clinics deliver hope to people across Pennsylvania who lack access to healthcare. Without them, thousands of people would not have access to any type of care at all.”

 

Charitable healthcare providers are integral to keeping Pennsylvanians who do not qualify for Medicaid healthy, and help avoid medical debt from urgent care, emergency visits, and medications, as families move between health plans or lack other options. While some clinics employ limited staff, the majority of clinical care is provided by volunteer talent.

 

“Right now, and in the weeks and months to come, opportunities are available for volunteers to help provide care and give back to others,” said Rapp. Anyone interested in volunteering should visit pacharitablehealth.org/volunteer, where PCHC can then connect them with a local clinic. PCHC is currently seeking volunteers that include:

– doctors
– nurses
– pharmacists
– dentists, dental assistants, & dental hygienists
– mental health professionals
– volunteers with administrative skills

 

Volunteer opportunities vary from clinic to clinic and by position. All volunteers meet strict credentialing and background checks and receive training and support.

 

“I find that the best part of my day is always that I served in the clinic,” said Ridge Salter, M.D., a volunteer at Katallasso Family Health Center in York. “Volunteering my expertise has added so much professional fulfillment, and I know it has been an antidote — and a bit of an immunization — to burnout.”

 

In 2023 alone, PCHC member clinics provided at least 114,000 appointments for patients, averaging more than 3,000 per clinic.

 

“In the last year, hundreds of thousands of people in our state have lost their Medicaid coverage,” said Mary Herbert, MPH, MS, Clinical Director at The Program for Health Care to Underserved Populations/Birmingham Free Clinic in Pittsburgh. “Despite their lack of state funding, free providers face the need to accommodate a major shift in the number of patients we serve, doing more than ever with limited resources.”

 

“PCHC’s member clinics and charitable providers fill a growing gap that many of our most vulnerable neighbors rely on for basic care, and volunteers are critical to this work,” said Highmark Foundation President Yvonne Cook. “The Highmark Foundation recognizes the vital work of charitable clinics and is proud to continue our partnership with PCHC through a $172,700 grant to further its mission to provide equitable, quality healthcare for all Pennsylvanians.”

 

PCHC is the support and advocacy organization for free and charitable healthcare providers who make up the healthcare safety net for uninsured and underinsured Pennsylvanians. Free and charitable clinics provide primary and preventative care such as medical screenings, chronic disease management, medication assistance, dental care, and connections to other social services. Clinics do not receive state or federal funding and rely on community support. For information, testimonials from volunteers, and a searchable database of clinic locations, go to www.pacharitablehealth.org.