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Bethesda Health Clinic Conveys Care of Community
bethesda health clinic, community, education, medical, support,
Tyler is deservedly known as a caring community. If you’re looking for a first-hand example, speak to any one of the 10,880 uninsured patients who received free or dramatically discounted services last year at the Bethesda Health Clinic.
The brainchild of Tyler’s medical community, the clinic began to take shape in the late 1990s. First Baptist Church’s willingness to lease an 11,000-square-foot building to house the facility was a major catalyst, and the doors opened in 2003.
Since then, the numbers tell the tale. Clinic visits have risen steadily each year: Patients received 1,482 prescriptions valued at $881,623 in 2007; and donors including churches, foundations, business, organizations and individuals contributed almost $1 million in 2007.
“Community support is the key for us,” says Dr. John English, executive director. “About 15 percent of our income comes from patient fees and about 25 percent from foundations, and the rest is from the community. We are so very grateful for and dependent on them. A broad range of folks give their time and more to us, so we really benefit from that.”
More than 200 doctors and a similar number of nurses volunteer their time and talents at the clinic, along with hundreds of volunteers. These days, the clinic is working on preventative programs as well as ongoing care and treatment, particularly in the area of diabetes.
Story by Joe Morris
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