History of the Free Clinic

The Community Free Clinic for Uninsured Adults

The Dr. Garabed A. Fattal Community Free Clinic is a community-based clinic sponsored by the Binghamton Clinical Campus, a regional campus of SUNY Upstate Medical University, located in Syracuse, NY. The Community Free Clinic was established to meet the medical needs of over 38,000 uninsured individuals in New York’s Southern Tier.

The concept of a free clinic came from Dr. Jack McConnell who had organized retired physicians to provide free medical treatment for uninsured service workers in South Carolina. The notion of a local clinic originated with Dr. Garabed Fattal, a retired pathologist and medical school professor, who visited the South Carolina operation. Dr. Fattal approached the leadership of the Clinical Campus with his ideas and secured institutional sponsorship for the project form the University President’s office.

Dr. Fattal then recruited local retired physicians as volunteers to provide the services. Retired physician faculty from all specialties organized into the Physician Volunteer Services Committee which became a standing committee of the Clinical Campus. Its charge was to provide guidance to the patient care policies of the clinic. An advisory board was established with representation from business, the media, politics, religious communities, and social and health agencies. The board advises on community concerns, interprets the clinic project to the larger community, and assists with fund-raising.

The Clinical Campus developed close ties with the political leadership of the county and a partnership with the Broome County Health Department, which made its facilities available for use by the fledgling clinic. Upstate Medical University involvement was essential to obtain liability insurance coverage for all volunteers. University counsel used an existing statute, New York Public Officers Law, Section 17, that provides umbrella liability insurance coverage, including defense and indemnification, for public employees or appointees engaged in charitable work for which they receive no compensation.

The physician committee sought active participation from the Broome County Medical Society and major assistance from local hospitals. Currently, laboratory, radiology, and other diagnostic services are freely provided by the hospitals. In-patient admissions and surgical and medical support are provided as needed, but financial assessments may be taken on patients if the admission is protracted or very costly. Also, medical groups and private physicians in various subspecialties accept referrals from the clinic, pro bono.

The Free Clinic has operated since January 1997. It provides basic primary and acute care services to the growing numbers of uninsured patients, 6,000 to date in 26,500 patient visits. Volunteers give care two nights a week to an average of 80-100 patients per week. In addition to retired and practicing physicians, volunteers include residents, medical students, nurse practitioners, nurses, lab techs, social workers, dieticians, pharmacists, medical records techs, quality assurance reviewers, and clerical personnel.

Prescription drugs are provided to patients free of charge. Pharmaceutical companies and local practices donate samples, and sufficient funds have been raised from the community and from grants to purchase garden-variety non-sampled medications. As many patients as are eligible are enrolled in pharmaceutical indigent programs through which they receive their medications free.

Jennifer Redmore, DDS, worked with the Clinical Campus and Free Clinic Staff to establish a dental program for the Community Free Clinic. After many hours of site visits, consultations, and meetings, a site was found and volunteer dentists recruited. Dental services started in September of 2002 and are currently offered every other Wednesday evening at the Binghamton General Hospital dental clinic. These basic services (extractions and fillings only) are limited to established Free Clinic patients.

The current Medical Director, Dr. Linda E. Fort, is a board-certified Internist and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine. Administrative direction is provided by Associate Dean Lenore Boris, JD, MS. The Medical Resident Preceptor on Monday nights is Dr. Jungsil Kim Cusimano, Clinical Assistant Instructor.