On June 29, 2016, Interfaith took ownership of the medical facility adjacent to our main campus and named it the Center for Life. The Center for Life offers free medical, dental, vision and mental health services to those who are uninsured and of low-income. These services are offered through a partnership with Hope Clinic, FreeDOM Clinic, Langley Health Services and Ignite Community Counseling and Resource Center. This is also where Interfaith operates our Prescription Medication Assistance Program for those who cannot afford their necessary medications. With all of these services co-located, the Center for Life offers a comprehensive plan for meeting all of the various health-related needs a person may have. Local medical professionals donate their time and expertise to offer all services at no cost to the patient. Support from the Marion County Hospital District helps staff the center and funds medication programs specific to diabetes and mental illness.
For years an unmet need in Marion County has been free medical and dental care for those without insurance or enough income to afford professional care. This has driven thousands of uninsured, low-income patients to our local emergency rooms for non-emergency medical attention.
In 2016 there were over 4,000 visits to local emergency rooms for dental related issues alone. Those with untreated chronic illnesses might have a lengthy stay in the hospital as well. Because these are non-paying patients, this has a detrimental impact on medical costs for the community at large. It taxes the hospital’s resources and doesn’t provide the proper care for patients suffering with chronic illnesses.
This is why Interfaith Emergency Services began working with a group of local medical professionals. Through a partnership with Three Angels Clinic and Hope Clinic, patients once received medical treatment in our homeless shelter. Due to demand and the many local professionals who wanted to come on board and get involved, the clinics quickly outgrew our limited space. When Interfaith had a rare opportunity to purchase a medical facility adjacent to our current campus we moved forward realizing that for years to come this would have an incredible impact on our local community.
On August 5th we opened the Interfaith Emergency Services Center for Life. We started by offering free medical services and since have added dental, vision and mental health services. While the services are free, the space to provide the services is not. This is where the support of the community is critical. The physicians and medical professionals offer their services at no cost to our patients as a way of giving back to the community. By providing this space and funding the utilities and infrastructure at this site, we can save our local hospitals THOUSANDS of dollars each year and provide hope and healing to those patients who cannot afford the benefit of a primary care physician.
Soon after the dental clinic was added a partner came on board to provide mental health services. Appointments are made so that patients can get one on one care from a mental health counselor.
Also located at the Center for Life is Charley’s Garden which is a special place where parents can memorialize children that were lost before birth. This space is utilized for post-abortion counseling as well as grief counseling to promote spiritual and emotional healing. Resources for this garden were provided by Grainger Industrial Supply’s foundation, Eagle Scout Nick Holmes, and some other generous people from the community. For more information or to memorialize a child, call 352-629-8868 extension 204.
Please consider what you can do to help us keep the lights on and the doors open so these medical professionals can keep their hearts open and give back to give back to their community. For more information call Karla at 352-209-7045 or click here to learn how to provide financial support.