Free Clinics Awarded Funding to Help the Uninsured

Posted August 23, 2007

Physicians are helping to address the issue of the uninsured around the country by opening free health care clinics that offer free or low cost health care services to low-income, uninsured and underinsured patients.

In an effort to support these clinics and recognize their efforts, the AMA Foundation has presented 10 free clinics with grants ranging from $15,000 to $25,000, as part of the Healthy Communities/Healthy America program.

AMA member Charles A. Rau, MD, a Columbus, Ind., family physician and medical director of the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of Bartholomew County, received a Healthy Communities/Healthy America grant for his free clinic. "In the long run, we hope to provide chronic care that is preventive and proactive," said Dr. Rau. "Our goal is to enable people to live longer, healthier lives-and ultimately, we want to keep people out of emergency rooms and hospitals."

Visit http://www.amafoundation.org to learn more about these and other award opportunities.