The Heart of Virginia Health Clinic, a non-profit corporation that provides free basic medical care to individuals with no insurance, is requesting funds from Prince Edward and the surrounding counties in order to continue operating at a full capacity.
According to Pat Payne (RN), executive director of the Heart of Virginia Free Health Clinic, “We’re not out of money right now, but the way expenses are going, we’ll be out of money in three months unless something happens.” However, Payne said she will continue to work at the clinic even if funding does not come through.
One of 58 free clinics in Virginia, the clinic has acquired grants, donations and volunteers that help fund and provide the medical care, operating costs including salaries for the two part- time employees and Payne, building rent, the registered pharmacy, and Internet and telephone bills. The clinic costs approximately $79,000 a year to run.
Payne spoke to the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors on April 1 regarding additional funding for the clinic for the next fiscal year. She has sent information to the boards of supervisors from Buckingham, Cumberland, Charlotte, Lunenburg, Nottoway and Amelia counties.
Payne requested funds according to each county’s representation at the clinic, asking for the greatest amount from Prince Edward due to the county’s 62 percent enrollment. She hopes to hear a decision from Prince Edward within the month and is on the schedule to speak with Charlotte and Lunenburg counties.
The clinic was chartered in 2009 and has been in operation since April 2012.
“We realized at the beginning that the need would be tremendous for [the clinic] because, according to statistics from the United States Census Bureau, ... 18.9 percent of the population in this area has no insurance,” Payne said.
According to Payne, the clinic has seen more than 221 patients, conducted 90 clinics and given away 700 prescriptions. The clinic is in operation every Tuesday.
Individuals whose family household income is less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level, have no insurance and work or have worked in the last six months are eligible.
The clinic holds eligibility interviews from 3 to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and holds the clinic from 6 to 9 p.m.
Payne said medical services are run entirely by volunteers, including six doctors, six nurse practitioners and 20 nurses. Nine local churches rotate to provide free meals for the clinic each week.
In the future, Payne hopes to secure a grant that would allow the clinic to offer services five days a week.
“I want to be open five days a week because ... it’s estimated that 20,000 people in this 30-mile radius of Farmville don’t have insurance,” she said. “Where are they getting cared for? A lot of them just aren’t.”
Another challenge the clinic is facing is the location.
While the clinic is under a lease until June 2015, Payne said the building’s owners are “aggressively selling” the structure.
Payne said Centra Southside Community Hospital, which has donated a great deal of supplies and services to the clinic, is aware of the situation and is concerned about the clinic’s continuation. Payne has no confirmation but holds a “fond hope” that the hospital will help the clinic find a new location if needed.
In the meantime, the clinic is fundraising in addition to seeking donations and grants. The clinic is currently offering a chance to win a Gatormade 5 x 10 Utility Trailer with a $5 donation and selling cookbooks for $15.
David Culler, president of the clinic’s Board of Directors, said he has gone to great lengths to help spread the word about the clinic. Culler became involved with the clinic through his late wife Cecelia, a major instigator of the clinic and former administrative assistant for Longwood University’s Communication Studies Department.
Regarding the no insurance requirements for the clinic, Culler said, “There’s some confusion about the new Affordable Health Care Act and we’re as confused as anyone else, but we are sure that there will still be those patients who need our services.”
Payne is determined to carry on the vision for the clinic that began when the idea came to her during church five years ago.
“I’m a Christian, and to me this is a mission field,” said Payne. “There are sick and hurting people right here in front of me right down the street from where I live that need what we’re offering.”
