A Clinic that Cares: The Community Health Clinic is a Godsend for Uninsured Patients... but their Numbers and Needs are Growing

July 31, 2002

Nina Zamora remembers how tough things were trying to raise three children on her own. Money was tight, and health insurance was a luxury she couldn‘t afford.
“We‘d just wing it,“ she recalls. “The kids got sick and we couldn‘t afford health care. You‘d just go to the store and buy over-the-counter remedies... I wonder how many other parents are in the same boat I was in way back then.“
Probably a lot. That‘s one reason why Zamora volunteers at the Community Health Clinic in Traverse City. For the past 27 years, the clinic has been providing donation-based health care for people who don‘t have insurance or simply can‘t afford health care.
“When I came to Traverse City and heard about the program, I thought it was so great, I just had to help out,“ notes Zamora, the clinic‘s volunteer services coordinator.
The clinic offers just about every sort of health care you‘d find in a general practitioner‘s office -- physical exams, women‘s health care, family planning, TB testing, and HIV counseling and testing. And if they don‘t offer it, they‘ll refer you to another doctor who does -- specialists, optometrists, dentists and a host of others offering free services.

10 PERCENT UNINSURED
So who takes advantage of the clinic? “People from all walks of life,“ she says. “We have people who are self-employed and doing well, but not well enough to afford their own medical or qualify for other resources like Medicaid. And we have people who are on assistance and working, who may still qualify for Medicaid, but because they‘re employed, they can‘t afford the $300 spend-down every month.“
Brooke Gray, a nurse practitioner and the clinic coordinator, has seen thousands of patients since she began volunteering at the clinic 23 years ago. She says the clinic sees some 2,200-2,300 patients per year and those numbers are rising.
“A survey by the health department found that there are between 17,000 and 20,000 uninsured persons living in the five-county area,“ Gray says. “That‘s why we‘re striving to make this a full-time clinic -- there are so many people who are underserved.“
The figure means that roughly 10 percent of Northern Michigan‘s population have no health insurance insurance. Many are working several low-paying jobs to support their families. Others are in the service industry or working seasonal jobs which don‘t include health insurance.
Despite those numbers, Gray is the only employee at the clinic, and part-time at that. All of the other staff, including physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and clerical help, are volunteers.

A CRYING NEED
And while there is a crying need for health care services to help the uninsured in Northern Michigan, Gray says that many in the region are unaware of the problem. “There are an awful lot of people in the community who don‘t have a clue,“ she says. “There are a lot of people in denial about the problems in our community related to jobs, income and health care.“
“There‘s a lot of people in our community that really need this service,“ Zamora affirms.
While the clinic does suggest a fee, Zamora stresses that it‘s simply a donation. “We do not refuse services to anyone, based on whether or not they can give a donation. We still treat them, and we don‘t keep a tally, like some of the other clinics.“
However, patients must call for an appointment, since clinic hours are limited and the doctors offer their time on a volunteer basis.

A DOCTOR‘S VIEW
Dr. Carl Benner, M.D., a retired surgeon and former vice-president of medical affairs for Munson Medical Center, serves as executive director. He notes that when he retired from Munson, he wasn‘t quite ready to hang up his stethoscope.
“In my administrative role at Munson, I became more aware of the major problem of poor people in our society accessing health care,“ says Benner. “Through the 1990s, we had more and more data that indicated a significant problem right here in northern Michigan. For many people, you look at this area and say, it‘s a pretty wealthy community, but there‘s still a significant number of people living a hand-to-mouth existence.“
Dr. Benner‘s prestige, influence and drive have been inestimable in bringing new resources and help to the clinic, say both Gray and Zamora. As soon as he signed on as director, the clinic began receiving offers of more assistance and funds.
The clinic is funded by the United Way Agency, as well as grants from Rotary Charities, the Munson Healthcare Foundation, and a number of other sources. Munson‘s MEDS program helps with free prescriptions.

FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS
And for people like Nina Zamora, a wheelchair-bound survivor of polio, the benefits of the clinic cannot be overstated.
“I struggled all these years falling through the cracks, not qualifying for anything,“ she says. “Had I known that something like this was available, I might not be in a wheelchair today. I let my health go for the sake of providing for my kids. I wouldn‘t want anyone else to go through that if I can help it.“
The Community Health Clinic is located at 810A S. Garfield. General health clinics are held on Tuesday, 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.; and Thursday, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. Women‘s health clinics are held on two Wednesday evenings a month.
HIV counseling and testing are also available by appointment and include same-day test results, the only service of its kind north of Grand Rapids. “They don‘t have to give us anything but a first name, and even that can be fictitious,“ says Zamora. “The people scheduling the appointments are not the same team that does the clinic, so it‘s totally anonymous.“

AGING PATIENTS
When the clinic got its start in the early ‘70s, its patients were primarily teenagers and young adults, Gray says. “The doctors were seeing a lot of young people who weren‘t getting any health care.“
But with more people lacking health insurance these days, the age of the clinic‘s patients has gradually increased. “We have a lot more older patients now between the ages of 40 and 65 when Medicaid kicks in.“
Gray adds that treating disadvantaged patients with concern and respect is a priority at the clinic.
“One of the beauties of the clinic is that it‘s on a small scale and we can keep the personal touch,“ she says. “That helps us meet one of our goals in treating patients with integrity and respect. We feel that‘s really important.“
To schedule an appointment or request more information, call (231) 935-0668.