Christine Lucas, MD, has a full practice at the Anna Rural Health Center providing care as a family practice physician. So, why does she volunteer her spare time to be medical director of the Abundant Health Resource Clinic in Carbondale, a free health clinic for the uninsured?
“Because it needs to be done,” she said. “Most of us know people who lost their health insurance or are uninsured. Many of our patients work two or three part time jobs, but have no benefits. This is something they can fall back on.”
Lucas said mentors in her residency at the SIU School of Medicine inspired her to volunteer. Jerry Goddard, MD, gives his time to area schools treating student athletes with sports injuries and Penelope Tippy, MD, has devoted her life to helping the medically underserved in southern Illinois. “I thought I too could use my talent to serve people,” Lucas explained.
Lucas was a part of the Abundant Health Resource Clinic from its beginning in 1999. A resident at the time, Lucas was looking for a community service project for an elective. She joined Jagan Ailinani, MD, Tom Firestone, MD, president, SIH, Paul Sarvela, SIUC and other community leaders to plan and create the clinic. When it opened in 2000 she was honored to be selected as medical director and has continued in that position.
Today, she serves on the clinical services committee, guides care at the clinic, reviews patient charts and sees patients one day every other month.
“This is such an important resource,” she said. Patients who cannot afford a regular doctor put off medical care until it becomes a crisis. Then they have only one option: the emergency room. “And that is not serving them well and it is costly to society,” Lucas said.
National statistics bear her out. In a recent survey by the American College of Emergency physicians, 80 percent of emergency doctors reported that one third of their patients are uninsured and, if they had been able to see a doctor sooner, would not have needed emergency treatment. Those same patients, after treatment, are not likely to fill prescriptions or seek additional care, which means they will be back at the emergency room.
“But here they get good care before there is a crisis,” Lucas explained. “Just because someone is poor it doesn’t mean that person should not get good health care.”
Patients treated at the clinic receive medical attention without charge and, when necessary, basic medications for such common conditions as infections, high blood pressure, diabetes and asthma. Care is provided by volunteer nurses, pharmacists, medical students, physician assistants and medical doctors.
“The medical community has been very supportive,” Lucas said, both financially and professionally. “We also have a great staff of volunteers. We are running this clinic on bare bones and they make it possible.”
The number of primary care doctors in the area is limited, “and the ones who are here are already swamped. It’s really great that doctors come here and give services,” Lucas added. There are also specialists who see patients on a consultant basis with the initial visit at no charge.
The clinic is open Tuesday and Thursday evenings. “And we have more patients than openings,” Lucas said. Many of them are return patients, so doctors at the clinic may be able to help them before their conditions become serious. Lucas remembers one patient, a younger man, who comes from a family with a history of diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney failure. After a trip to the emergency department due to chest pains, he began coming to the clinic.
“His cholesterol was high and he had other health issues, but he keeps showing up here now and keeps taking his meds. He has a chance to get better and beat his family history,” Lucas said. Another favorite patient is a woman in her forties with chronic lung disease severe enough to qualify her for oxygen if she had insurance. “She is also a long time smoker,” Lucas said. “She presented recently with left shoulder pain, but when I lifted her sleeve she smiled proudly as I noticed her nicotine patch.”
Lucas plans to continue her work at the clinic. “I leave here feeling grateful I could help. Everyone who volunteers here feels that way. We are all in this together.”
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