Community Free Clinic Newsletter

Prescription for Success

Vol. 1.7 - September 2007

Dr. Garabed A. Fattal Community Free Clinic

           In May, an application was submitted to the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) for a grant to transition the Free Clinic to a Community Health Center.  Award announcements were projected for September 1.  To date, the Binghamton Campus of Upstate Medical University (the grant applicant on behalf of the Free Clinic) has not received any official notification about the status of this application.  HRSA has announced numerous awards to other organizations during September.  At this point, we are not optimistic that we will receive this grant.

The HRSA grant would have brought some much-needed financial stability to the Free Clinic. The cost of providing services is increasing steadily. The chart below illustrates the dramatic rise in just one area – medications.

           In the early years, 90% of the drugs dispensed were free samples. Samples have dried up. The sample drugs are not the primary medications our patients need. The number of patients we see has increased. Thus, today more than 90% of medications are paid for by the Free Clinic. Drug costs doubled from 2002 to 2003 and doubled again from 2004 to 2005. Since March of 2006, several cost savings measures have allowed us to slow this rise despite a 30% increase in patients during the past two years. These measures include:

• Aggressively enrolling patients in Patient Assistance Programs
• Pursuing free medications through the National Association of Free Clinics
• Purchasing drugs at a discounted price rather than the retail price paid in 2005
• Improving inventory control

Current Financial Situation

           Donations are not keeping pace with expenses. On medications alone, we spend over $2,600 a week.  Donations received during the last six months are shown in the following graph.

Financial reserves are at a dangerously low level.  The Free Clinic needs money to continue to provide medical/dental services to the uninsured.  Please share with your families, friends, coworkers, neighbors and other people you know the story of the Free Clinic and the lives you have positively impacted.  Encourage them to learn more about our work at: http://upstate.edu/fattalclinic/.   Donations can be made online or by sending a check made payable to Community Free Clinic Fund #389, c/o Binghamton Campus, 425 Robinson St, Binghamton, NY 13901.

New Faces At The Clinic

            Recruitment of new volunteers for the Community Free Clinic is a continuous process.  Please give these new people a warm welcome (or welcome back), if you haven’t already.

• Ellen Lanko, RN began volunteering at the Free Clinic in July.
• Emily Goodspeed started helping out in the front desk area in August.
• Dr. Karen Bir has taken over care of the patients previously seen by Dr. Michaels.
• Sandra Straub, RN resumed volunteering at the Free Clinic in July.
• Julian Duda has returned.  Julian first volunteered in the pharmacy in 2002. 
• Donna Smith, RN recently joined our staff of dedicated volunteers.  

Patient Assistance Program

           Our PAP savings continue to grow.  So far this year, we have received more then $116,000 worth of drugs through the various Patient Assistance Programs offered by the major pharmaceutical companies.  That is $116,000 worth of drugs that our clinic did not have to purchase for our patients.  Please keep giving out those green sheets so we can enroll more of our patients.

Current Drug Abundance

           We will no longer include this section in our newsletters.  The drugs that our patients require are not being donated (or not donated in the quantities we require). 

Newsletter Suggestions  

            Do you have an idea for our next newsletter, or something you would like more information about?  Would you like to contribute some news or a brief message to your clinic teammates?  Please send your comments, suggestions, and/or news items via email halterb@upstate.edu or fax to the Clinical Campus (772-3536)