Acknowledging and Celebrating Free & Charitable Clinics
By vnafoundation Published On August 21, 2023
August is Free and Charitable Clinics Month in Illinois, a time to raise awareness and promote the critical role that free and charitable clinics throughout the state play in health access and health equity, especially for residents who are uninsured or underinsured.
The month-long campaign is spearheaded by VNA grantee partner Illinois Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (IAFCC). IAFCC’s mission is to strengthen the Illinois safety net to maximize the collective impact of free and charitable clinics by representing and resourcing them to ensure equitable, accessible and quality health care for all. IAFCC has a helpful toolkit on its website with ways to commemorate the month—by sharing stories of clinics, patients, volunteers, and partners, distributing fact sheets and resources, and educating decision-makers about the sector.
IAFCC welcomes all free and charitable clinics to become member clinics and receive benefits such as publicity and advocacy opportunities, connections to potential donors, and resource sharing. Many recent and current VNA grantee partners are member clinics: Bolingbrook Christian Health Center; Chicago Women’s Health Center; CommunityHealth; Family Health Partnership Clinic; Fenix Family Health Center; Mobile Care Chicago; Old Irving Park Community Clinic; The Ark; The Night Ministry; Tri City Health Partnership; and Will-Grundy Medical Clinic.
The value of free and charitable clinics cannot be overlooked. Data reported last year from IAFCC shows:
- Nearly 41,000 people were treated at these clinics, 100% of whom live at or below 300% of the federal poverty level.
- More than half of patients said they wouldn’t know where to go—or would avoid seeking care—if not for their free and charitable clinic and one in four said they would go to a hospital emergency department for care.
- IAFCC member clinics saved hospitals more than $33 million in emergency department diversions.
You can learn more about clinics’ impact via the infographic and fact sheet below, or by visiting IAFCC’s website. You can also learn more about VNA’s partnership with IAFCC and how the agency responded during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic here.
All of us at VNA extend our gratitude to IAFCC for organizing this annual month-long campaign, and, most importantly, for its support of our state’s free and charitable clinics every month of the year. And, we thank all our grantee partners—member clinics and others in the sector—for working tirelessly to provide free, high-quality, and accessible healthcare for all.
