Fan Free Clinic Helps Care for the Uninsured
By Stacy Hawkins Adams
A typical day at the Fan Free Clinic is like a day in the offices of many other health-care providers:
Patients come in for a variety of ailments or issues, including diabetes and high blood pressure, breast exams and immunizations.
Fan Free, however, is one of 47 health clinics in Virginia that provide these services for free.
In fact, it was the first Free Clinic established in the state.
Fan Free staff and volunteers celebrated the agency’s 35th anniversary last week. The clinic has been a United Way partner agency for 23 years.
"Our mission is to help the uninsured and underinsured with medical services, case management and education," said John Baumann, executive director of Fan Free. "We place a special emphasis on welcoming the least served. It’s been part of our tradition to be sure they’re getting the care they need and to treat them with dignity."
The "least served" Baumann refers to include individuals who are mentally ill, homeless, substance abusers and HIV positive.
Case-management services include determining whether patients have enough food and can afford rent to providing on-site counseling or referring people to other community resources.
Fan Free also serves a significant number of metro Richmonders who hold part- or full-time jobs but can’t afford insurance offered by their employers.
"A lot of the growth in the free-clinic industry is because of the rising number of uninsured and underinsured folks," Baumann said. "In the past we saw a lot of acute-care patients coming in. Now we’re seeing more chronic-care patients, who have ongoing medical problems and don’t really have a medical home."
Fan Free provided about 4,500 metro Richmonders with 8,000 clinic visits last year.
While some Free Clinics require patients to contribute to their care based on their income, Fan Free is able to offer completely free services because of donations from the community and support offered by funders such as United Way.
More than $68,000 of the clinic’s $1.4 million annual budget comes from a general pool of United Way funds. Baumann said about $70,000 also is donated directly to Fan Free by United Way contributors.
"It’s extremely important," Baumann said. "There are many other generous foundations, but often those grant commitments are only for a year. That makes it difficult for a nonprofit to fund and expand programs."
Although patients aren’t required to pay, they often give to Fan Free out of gratitude, Baumann said. Last year, he said, patients donated about $30,000. Others return as volunteers.
Teresa, 41, is among that number. Although she has insurance to meet her medical needs, she visits Fan Free regularly to meet with a psychiatrist.
"At first I didn’t love myself when I found out I was HIV positive," said Teresa, who was diagnosed eight years ago and asked that her last name not be used. "Now I’m doing wonderful. [I've learned] that I have a situation, but it’s not going to take over me."
She applauds the Fan Free staff for providing quality care and delivering it with compassion.
"They are wonderful," she said.
United Way has received donations and pledges of $6.6 million since launching its campaign Sept. 12. The agency raises funds to improve the lives of children, support older adults, and stop homelessness in metro Richmond and Petersburg.
United Way has not set a specific target for this year’s campaign, but it has a long-term goal of raising $25 million annually.
Fan Free Clinic
Call: (804) 358-6343
Online: www.fanfreeclinic.org
To donate: Contact United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg, P.O. Box 12209, Richmond, VA 23241-0209. For details, call (804) 771- 5820 or visit
www.yourunitedway.org