| 1. |
What is the Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic? |
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Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic provides medical care to eligible patients, just like any family practitioner or internist but it is free. We serve uninsured adults living at or below 200 % of the Federal poverty level who live or work on Johns, Wadmalaw or James Island. |
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| 2. |
Who operates the clinic? |
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The Clinic is a 501( c)(3) non-profit organization, operated by an Executive Medical Director and support staff. It is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. |
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| 3. |
What types of volunteers are needed at the free clinic? |
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Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic relies on donated time from retired and active licensed physicians and nurses, as well as interpreters and office volunteers.
Many additional volunteers are needed during special events such as our annual Celebrity Golf Tournament and Lowcountry Wine and Beer Festival. Marketing professionals, photographers and database experts are just some of the other volunteer skills we need.
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Volunteer roles include: |
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- Physicians
- Nurses and nurse practitioners
- Spanish/English interpreters
- Social workers and psychologists
- Administrative and operational support
- Donor appreciation
- Database entry
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| 4. |
Who is eligible for care at the Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic? |
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Adults who:
- Live or work on Johns, Wadmalaw and James Islands (zip codes 29455, 29487 and 29412)
- Have household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level
- Do not have health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid or VA medical benefits
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| 5. |
What does 200% of the federal poverty level mean? |
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The United States Department of Health and Human Services establishes the federal poverty level. The clinic serves adults who earn at or below 200% of this level, which translates for the year 2011 to the following:
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Chart of Incomes at 200% of the Federal Poverty Level
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Size of Family Unit
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Annually
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Monthly
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1
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$21,780.00
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$1,815.00
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2
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$29,420.00
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$2,451.66
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3
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$37,060.00
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$3,088.33
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4
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$44,600.00
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$3,716.66
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5
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$52,340.00
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$4,361.66
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6
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$59,980.00
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$4,998.33
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For each additional person
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$7,640
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$636.66
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| 6. |
How do I sign up to receive patient care? |
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Every patient goes through the same process for determining eligibility to receive services. Click here for a detailed overview of our new patient checklist. This provides you with all the information you will need to apply for eligibility. |
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| 7. |
Why do I have I to provide so much information to be eligible for patient care? |
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We strive to make the eligibility process as easy as possible. We can only provide care to so many patients and we want to make sure the uninsured patients of Johns, Wadmalaw or James Islands are receiving our care. If we determine you are not eligible for services, we can direct you to the many other free patient care clinics throughout the Charleston area. |
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| 8. |
What are the clinic’s hours of operation? |
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Monday 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm walk-in clinic
Tuesday - Friday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm scheduled appointments |
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| 9. |
What free services will be provided by the clinic? |
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Doctors, nurses, translators, staff, diabetic meters and strips, lab tests, X-rays and screening mammograms are free. Some specialty referrals are free. |
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| 10. |
How is the Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic financed? |
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We are funded by individual and church contributions, grants and fundraising events. The Clinic is supported by charitable contributions from individuals, churches, fundraising events and grants from private foundations. The Clinic receives no state or federal money. We are staffed by 115 volunteers who offer their time freely to care for patients.
For more information, see the Make a Contribution tab. |