There are a startling 46 million people in the United States without health insurance. 23,000 of them reside in Arlington County.
When I saw that number about a month ago, I was shocked. It’s something I don’t think of because it is so easy for me to pick up the phone and get an appointment for my children to see the pediatrician, or for my husband to get some tests done, or me to have my annual physical. But who do the 23,000 Arlington County uninsured turn to when they need quality medical care?
The answer is the Arlington Free Clinic. AFC served 1,614 patients in 2009 through 9,229 appointments for primary, specialty and acute care, mental health, physical therapy and patient education, all on a budget of $2M. They are the only clinic in Arlington County that provides comprehensive medical care, including diagnostic testing and medications, to the county’s low-income uninsured residents.
How do they manage to do this? AFC is run by a volunteer corps of over 550 people providing nearly 16,000 hours of service worth over $815,000. And I am proud to announce that I am now one of those volunteers! I’ll be working two nights a month at AFC’s gynecology clinic. I’m looking forward to helping those who are most at need, and especially to the women of that group. As the mother of two small children, I know that oftentimes women spend more time caring for others than for themselves, which is why I am so excited to interpret for the gynecology clinic. Preventative health for women is so very important. No one’s happy if mama is sick!
Thanks to Arlington Free Clinic for this special opportunity to give back to the community.
¡Nos vemos en la clínica!
