The Community Dental Clinic and the Free Clinic of Our Towns at the Ada Jenkins Center will join 74 free clinics in a Statewide Open House Thursday, May 1, 5-8 p.m. at Ada Jenkins, 212 Gamble St.
The open houses, sponsored by North Carolina Association of Free Clinics, in partnership with the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of N.C. Foundation, are part of an effort to educate the community about the health care services free clinics provide to uninsured and other vulnerable populations.
“One of our core values as a free clinic is that cost should not prevent people in our community from receiving health and dental care,” said Jay Laurens, Executive Director of the Ada Jenkins Center where the two clinics are housed. “The services we provide are high-quality, and are having an immediate and direct impact on our community. Without the dedication of our staff and volunteers, some people would have nowhere else to turn for health care.”
Free clinics are private, nonprofit, community organizations that provide health care to North Carolinians through the use of volunteer health care professionals and partnerships with other health providers.
 Dr. Craig White |
LOCAL DOCTORS
Here in Davidson, the free health clinic was founded by Drs. Craig White and Steve Williamson, both Davidson residents.
Other Davidson doctors who also volunteer are Dr. Sam Hay, a retired internist who lives at The Pines and volunteers weekly; Dr. McNeill Gibson; Drs. Becky and Emmett Montgomery; Drs. Steve Mange and Ron Beamon, both of the Davidson Clinic; Dr. Barbara Guise; Dr. Evelyn Pryor; Dr. Skip Barkley; and Dr. Trisha White.
In a recent interview with Erin Beam in Charlotte Medical News, Dr. White talked about how the clinic services 25 to 35 people every Thursday night. “It’s a very diverse patient population, older, younger, all ethnicities, even people that I grew up with are some of the patients there, so it’s heartening to be able to help them,” Dr. White told the publication. (Read the full interview online, CLICK HERE>)
Dr. White told DavidsonNews.net the clinic also welcomes additional help. “Because the demand is growing each week, we are always looking for additional primary care providers – family physicians, pediatricians, internists, and family nurse practitioners),” he said. “If any of your readers know of an interested physician, especially one who lives in Davidson, please have
them contact the Ada Jenkins Center.”
The statewide open house coincides with national Cover the Uninsured Week activities, which are coordinated by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. North Carolina has the largest association of free clinics in the nation. According to the U.S. Census, in 2006, there were nearly 1.6 million uninsured in the state.
The Ada Jenkins Center is at 212 Gamble St., and can be reached at 704-896-0471, or on the web at www.adajenkins.org.
MORE INFORMATION
The Community Dental Clinic, established in 2002 by area dental professionals, faith groups and other volunteers, was founded on the belief that basic dental care should be accessible to the entire community. The Community Dental Clinic serves under and uninsured residents of Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson and Mooresville. The mobile clinic is open two Wednesday evenings per month in Huntersville and two Fridays per month at the Ada Jenkins Center and is staffed by volunteer dental professionals, office workers, nurses and translators. The clinic has a mobile dental facility to enhance the services and increase access for those in need. For more information please call 704-896-0471 x 104 or visit our website at www.adajenkins.org.
The Free Clinic of Our Towns, established in 2003 by two Davidson residents, Dr. Craig White and Dr. Steve Williamson, was founded on the belief that health care is a basic tenet of a humane society. The free medical clinic serves under and uninsured residents of Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson and Mooresville. It is open on Thursday evenings and is staffed by volunteer physicians, nurses, Davidson College students, and residents from the community. Last year clinic services provided 1450 patient visits and referred over 100 patients to specialists in the community. Please call 704-896-0471 x 116 or visit our website at www.adajenkins.org.
The North Carolina Association of Free Clinics, founded in 1998, is a private, nonprofit, 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization that conducts advocacy, research, public relations, resource development, training and technical assistance on behalf of its member free clinics and the people they serve. Headquartered in Winston-Salem, the Association is currently in the midst of a multi-year, multimillion dollar partnership with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation to expand and strengthen the free health clinic network across the state. To learn more about the work of the Association, visit www.ncfreeclinics.org or call (336) 251-1111.
