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Anderson Free Clinic stops taking new patients because of overload
Photo by Sefton Ipock
Sandy Kress, a volunteer at the Anderson Free Clinic, reaches for a bottle of prescription medication in the clinic’s pharmacy. The clinic still is accepting new dental and pharmacy patients, but not other new medical patients.
Photo by Sefton Ipock
Dr. Winston Floyd meets with Anderson Free Clinic patient Glenda Whitt in one of the clinic’s six exam rooms. Officials have announced the clinic no longer can accept new patients.
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Photo by Sefton Ipock
Dr. Winston Floyd refills a prescription for a patient at the Anderson Free Clinic. The clinic’s pharmacy and dental clinic still are taking new patients although the clinic is turning away new cases for health care.
For patients:
The Anderson Free Clinic is still open. They are accepting new pharmacy and the dental patients. But until further notice, they are not accepting new patients at the clinic.
“It puts us in a terrible position to have to turn people away,” Sartini said. “When you have 70 new patients coming in each month and you don’t have any patients leaving… We just couldn’t do it anymore. We couldn’t get the patients we have now in to see a doctor.”
How to Help
The Anderson Free Clinic desperately needs more volunteers to help with an ever-increasing number of patients coming through its doors.
To volunteer or find out more information, call (864) 226-1294.
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ANDERSON COUNTY — On the front door of the Anderson Free Clinic is a sign of hard times.
In black letters that have been highlighted in yellow for emphasis, the sign reads, “Effective Immediately: Anderson Free Clinic will be accepting new patients for the pharmacy and dental services only.”
Only twice in this clinic’s 24-year history has there been a sign like that on its front door. The first time the sign was placed there was in 2007.
Both times the sign did not go up because the clinic has lost volunteer physicians, the clinic’s Director Maureen Sartini said. It’s the increasing number of people coming through their doors — both in Anderson and at their clinic in Honea Path.
“It puts us in a terrible position to have to turn people away,” Sartini said. “When you have 70 new patients coming in each month, and you don’t have any patients leaving. … We just couldn’t do it anymore. We couldn’t get the patients we have now in to see a doctor.”
Sartini said they usually take calls from patients a month in advance to set up appointments.
On Aug. 1, she said, the doctors’ schedules already were full, and there were still 100 messages on the clinic’s appointment line. Those messages were from people who are already patients at the clinic. There were other messages from new people requesting medical help from the clinic, Sartini said.
There are 3,000 people still considered active patients at the clinic, meaning they have been into the clinic in the last two years, Sartini said.
A clinic news release indicates that, “During most of 2008, the Anderson Free Clinic has been unable to provide appointments for the an estimated 100 current patients each month.”
And many of those people would not have anywhere to go for medical help if not for the clinic.
People like Glenda Whitt, 60, of Anderson, who are disabled, yet too young yet to qualify for Medicare. Her husband, who is retired, has medical insurance, but she does not. So on Thursday, she was at the clinic because of sinus problems and other ailments. She also has high blood pressure and in 2005 was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.
“If I didn’t have the clinic, I probably wouldn’t see doctor,” Whitt said. “I would try to treat myself with over-the-counter medications.”
Angela Martin, 42, of Anderson works as a home health care worker. But she only has part-time hours and lives by herself. So she doesn’t have any insurance either. She was waiting in the clinic’s lobby with a brace around her wrist. She is here for a follow-up appointment about the carpal tunnel syndrome that causes her to wake up with a numb hand most mornings.
Without the clinic, she would either take over-the-counter medications for pain or would run the risk of an expensive bill at the emergency room.
Cathy Rooks, 56, of Belton — who is also in the clinic’s waiting room on Thursday — said she has been able to have needed gall bladder surgery and a lump removed from her breast thanks to the clinic.
Before putting up the sign recently, Sartini and the clinic’s social worker, Sandra Brooks, said they limited the days that they would accept new patients to the clinic to one day a week. But even then, they were accepting roughly 10 new patients a week.
“I noticed an increase in our load around (the terrorist attacks of) 9-11,” the clinic’s social worker, Sandra Brooks said. “Then things gradually got worse. We started noticing people come in with no income or almost no income.”
A long-time clinic volunteer, Dr. Tom Vestal, said he has seen an increase in the number of people coming in who are new faces and appear to be middle-income residents in the last year. He said those people either recently have lost their jobs or have taken a hit to their income — so that they meet the clinic’s income requirements and do not have adequate insurance.
Vestal has been providing his services as an obstetrician and gynecologist since the clinic opened in 1984. Now he has been retired for 30 years, and he still comes in and works at the clinic.
Sartini said roughly volunteer doctors and 75 specialists who take referrals from the clinic.
Dr. Winston Floyd, who has also been coming to clinic since 1984, said about five years ago, he would typically see five to eight patients an afternoon when he volunteered. Now that number has climbed to 12 to 15.
So what can help take that sign off the door?
Sartini said the clinic needs more doctors.
The clinic still is accepting new patients into the dental clinic and the pharmacy. Sartini stressed that the clinic is not closing. But more nurses, primary care physicians, nurse practitioners and specialists are needed who can take referrals to volunteer their time at the clinic.
“This was never intended to be a permanent medical home for patients,” Sartini said. “But this is just the way it is. So many people are uninsured or underinsured.”
Comments
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Don't think I've heard anything about the County council
recognizing this group of people or giving them any plaques or offering them any money.
Doubt if a bunch of sick unemployed Anderson county residents would be interested in new parks and dance halls
Preston sits on his hands when it comes to helping the poor. Allows cutbacks in public transportation and won't help free clinics in tough times. All the while he jets around and eats and sleeps at the most expensive places he can impress someone with. Yep, he is my hero! NOT.
This is a very tragic and dangerous situation. Some people who can't get their medicines or get doctor care are going to end up in the hospital, or even worse. The costs of that will be much higher with long term health complications.
It's a shame they have to turn away new patients but continue to treat the old patients. It's like the Medicaid patients I see in my doctor's office - most of them appear able to work. It doesn't seem fair to turn away someone who has just lost their job after working for years or have become ill without insurance just because the rolls are full of people who have received help for years.
I personally don't think Medicaid laws are tough enough!!
I know a woman who lives with her 2 kids and "common law husband of 20 years" in a 2850sq ft house on 15 acres, 2 brand new personal vehicles, 4 brand new work vehicles, 3 boats, 4 ATV's, horses, the list goes on and on..anyway, she is getting MEDICAID...WTF..??!! BTW, this woman is NOT an illegal, she hasn't worked since she was 18!! Sounds like PURE LAZY!!
I hope she is reading this, she will know who she is, she MIGHT realize how wrong she is!!
I know a girl who is 21 and pregnant with her third kid. She is married but her husband claims to be disabled and can not work. Funny thing is I see him out all the time. He seems just fine to work to me. They are on Medicaid, EBT, and WIC. I am glad the system is out their for people who honestly need it. What bugs me are the people who take advantage of the system becuase they are to lazy to get off their butts and work. This leaves no room for the people who really need it.
I echo Niblits' statement about how it is cheaper to treat these people on this level rather than in the ER. The upcoming election could have a great impact on healthcare, and I hope it is in a positive way. I'm very grateful for everything I've been blessed with, and I try, even though it can be hard, not to judge others. You never really know the situation someone is in.
I don't like to judge people myself, I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth. My husband and I have worked very hard to get what we have today. I realize there are some young people that are disabled and are on medicaid but, I have seen a lot of people take advantage of the system and it's just not fair.
Well good luck finding more doctors to volunteer at the Free Clinic. Most Anderson doctors don't want to accept Medicaid much less do it for free.
I have a family member on Medicaid and she called every doctor in the yellow pages trying to find one that would accept Medicaid.They all said the same thing,they do not accept adults on Medicaid,only children.
That's why so many people go to the ER for every little thing ,they don't have a doctor they can go to.
I agree that there are a LOT of people that abuse the system.I know a whole family that's on SSI, medicaid and food stamps.They never worked or didn't work enough to draw disability so they all have to draw SSI for their "nerves" or a bad back.
It's funny how they aren't able to work a tax paying job but they can work under the table just fine.
Just a thought but would it not be of benefit to AnMed to employ and provide not only funds to the Free Clinic but possibly some additional physicians as well? If that were the case then as "get_real" stated these uninsured wouldn't have to utilize the ER for health care that is not emergent. The hospital is losing a fortune on these cases. Maybe instead of losing who knows how much money they could invest a lesser number of dollars in the Free Clinic to prevent these people from having no alternative but the ER.
I wish the USA would adopt a system like we have in Australia called Medicare. It might sound like socialized medicine to some but whatever the system it works. Every citizen in Australia who has a job and earns money pays 1 cent(a penny) of every dollar into Medicare regardless of what you earn. You could earn millions or minimum wage it would not matter. However, as you can see the person earning millions is likely to pay more into Medicare because they earn more. A person must be a citizen or a legal resident of Australia to benefit from this program and if you do not have a government issued Medicare card then you have to pay for your medical treatment or hospital costs. When a person goes to a doctor and this also includes any specialist doctor they present their Medicare card and the center will then advise them of any gap that is due and they will send them the bill for it or the person can choose to pay up front.If the person has no money to pay the bill then the center does whats called "bulk billing" and the person pays nothing at all. For example, I need to see my doctor because I have a bad cold. I call and make the appointment, see the doctor, upon leaving I choose to pay the scheduled $35.00 fee up front. I leave the doctor's office, walk across the street to the Medicare Office and present my receipt and I am refunded $30.00 because Medicare covered all but $5.00. If I had no job or no money to pay the next time I went then I would be bulk billed and pay nothing. Every person in the whole of Australia has access to medical care and no one is ever turned away from casulty because of no insurance. Hence, a healthier society and a workable solution to health care issues. Not saying the system is perfect there are still those who complain about the 1 cent of the dollar they have to pay. If a person chooses to have private insurance then the government gives them a rebate at tax time for providing more coverage to their health plan. I don't know how that would work in the US because there are those who won't see the value in a plan like this, but it sure works in Australia. BTW medical students in Australia can choose to be subsidized by the government and given a free education in return for working in remote or small rural towns for a certain period of time. A lot of doctors choose to do this and it solves the doctor shortage problem.
in response to get_real
You are right about people working under the table.
Isn't it also funny how these people can't work but they are still able to enjoy the "bedroom" enough to reproduce?!
in response to The_Shark
That's funny and true!! :)
But I have to have more babies! It's the only way to get my welfare check up!
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