Healthy Living Newsletter
Peoples’ Clinic Annual Report Offers Insight into Patients Most in Need in the Area
 In its recently released 2005-06 Annual Report, the Peoples’ Clinic for Better Health reported providing more than 3,000 free patient care visits and nearly 10,000 free prescriptions written for those who lack health insurance or the financial resources to pay for their care.
Peoples’ Clinic for Better Health is the centerpiece of Mercy Hospital’s mission to provide care to the poor and underserved within the community. It is a collaborative project including Mercy Hospital and the St. Clair County Medical Society. It is funded in part by the United Way of St. Clair County. It is the only free primary care medical clinic in Port Huron.
Free medical care and referral services are available three days per week in offices located in the Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission, on Port Huron’s southside. The report provides detailed information on the types of patients treated as well as its financial report which reveals that it provided more than $890,000 in prescription medications to our community’s most vulnerable.
In addition to providing free primary care services, the clinic reports that it offered 2,483 referrals to area physician specialists, community agencies or Mercy Hospital. Of those treated, the most frequent diagnoses were: hypertension (47 percent); upper respiratory infection (26 percent), diabetes (29 percent) and mental illness (19 percent).
“As our community continues to experience economic decline we continue to see large numbers of patients who lack health insurance and are in desperate need of medical care,” comments Linda Lalonde, Director of the Peoples’ Clinic for Better Health. “The issues many of our local businesses face – in reducing health care benefits or offering no benefits at all – continues to have a direct impact on the number of patients who visit the clinic. Many of our patients are the working poor. Free medical care is provided to those 18 to 64 years of age.
“It is because of the generous outpouring of support the clinic receives, as well as the dedication of our volunteer physicians through the St. Clair County Medical Society, that enable us to continue to provide this ever important service to the community,” continues Lalonde.
“We expect to see a greater need in the future.”
The Peoples’ Clinic for Better Health is operated by Mercy Hospital which provides this service through its Community Benefit Ministry program. Last year, Mercy Hospital provided $4.6 million through its Ministry to the Poor and Underserved.
“Mercy Hospital is, and always will be, devoted to the care of the poor and underserved,” comments Jason Hinz, Vice President of Business Development and leader of Mercy Hospital’s Community Benefit Ministry program. “It is rooted in our history and heritage of Christian charity. This type of service to the community is one of our primary focuses, and is seen in other services including the Mercy Cares program which provides financial assistance to patients in need of hospital services with no insurance or financial resources.”
To learn more about Mercy Hospital’s Community Benefit Ministry programs and services, go to the Community Benefit section under the “services” section of this website. For information on making a contribution to the Peoples’ Clinic, call the Mercy Foundation at (810) 987-1047. |
