“Thousands of Stamford residents who rely on emergency rooms to manage chronic health conditions will now have a better alternative – a medical home,” Curt Welling, AmeriCares president and chief executive office said in a news release from the organization. “The hospital will be able to focus on true emergencies, and the uninsured will have the medical services they need to avoid preventable hospitalizations. The entire community will benefit.”
The Stamford clinic will begin aboard a mobile unit before transitioning to a permanent home, the release said. Qualifying low-income adults without health insurance will be able to receive treatment for episodic and chronic illnesses as well as pre-employment physicals, the release said.
“This is an exciting time as we come together to help uninsured residents live healthier, more productive lives,” said Karen Gottlieb, AmeriCares Free Clinics executive director. According to the release, 20 percent of adults are uninsured in the city.
AmeriCares is not alone in opening the clinic, receiving core donations from OdysseyRe Foundation, Building and Land Technology, Purdue Pharma, and two anonymous donors. The organization is also partnering with Quest Diagnostics and Stamford Hospital to offer a full range of services, the release said.
“The new free clinic will help make care even more accessible for those in need, particularly the uninsured,” Brian Grissler, chief executive officer and president of Stamford Hospital.
The organization’s clinics in Norwalk, Danbury, and Bridgeport treat about 3,000 residents annually and provide about $6.2 million in health care, the release said. It projects an increase to 11,200 clinic visits and another $750,000 in service with the addition of the Stamford clinic.
You can assist the free clinic by donating or volunteering. Call 203-658-9500, or visit the clinics’ website for more information.
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