LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) -A Lincoln nonprofit offering free healthcare to uninsured and underinsured residents has opened a new facility near the State Capitol.<\/p>\n
Clinic with a Heart describes itself as a place that provides \u201cFree, dignified healthcare for uninsured or underinsured patients.\u201d The organization offers medical, dental, vision, behavioral health and spiritual care at no cost, staffed by volunteer medical providers.<\/p>\n
How the clinic operates<\/p>\n
The clinic is open three days a week \u2014 Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays \u2014 starting at 4:30 p.m. A variety of volunteer doctors and nurses donate their time approximately once a month.<\/p>\n
Executive Director Nancy Johner said the clinic functions as an urgent need resource, not a traditional urgent care center.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we\u2019re an urgent need clinic. So, that\u2019s a little different than the urgent care,\u201d Johner said. \u201cSo, our urgent need is you have an urgent need, you call us, you make an appointment, you don\u2019t have insurance, you don\u2019t have a lot of money to pay for a visit, you call us and we can see you.\u201d <\/p>\n
Johner credited the volunteer staff for the clinic\u2019s capacity to serve the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur doctors and our nurses. It\u2019s because of them that we\u2019re able to serve, you know, 3,300 people in a year,\u201d Johner said.<\/p>\n
Partnerships and dental services<\/p>\n
Johner said partnerships are central to keeping the clinic running. The dental program is student-operated in partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center.<\/p>\n
Dental services are student-led under the oversight of two licensed dentists.<\/p>\n
Anthony Chavez, a first-time dental patient at Clinic with a Heart, said he was referred by his supervisor and was grateful for the ability to receive care and return to work quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo to have a place like this where people can come and get diagnosed and treated, you know, it helps a lot with our bank account and just things that, you know, if we\u2019re going through an everyday type of struggle, we can rely on somebody to look out for us as well,\u201d Chavez said.<\/p>\n
Specialty clinics and services<\/p>\n
The clinic also offers specialty clinics, including physical therapy, chiropractic care, podiatry, vision and pain management. <\/p>\n
From June through August, the clinic hosts specialty clinics that offer physicals to students.<\/p>\n
Location, appointments and long-term goals<\/p>\n
Clinic with a Heart\u2019s new facility is located at South 13th Street and D Street, a few blocks south of the State Capitol building. Online scheduling is not available. Patients must call to make an appointment at (402) 421-2924.<\/p>\n
Patients may visit up to three times per year. Johner said the clinic\u2019s broader goal is to help patients transition to a permanent healthcare provider.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause they should have a medical home. This is not a medical home,\u201d Johner said.<\/p>\n