Idaho’s free and charitable clinics provide crucial access to healthcare for many Idahoans without health insurance. Free clinics are a critical part of Idaho’s safety net that utilizes a hybrid volunteer/staff model to offer patients a range of health services including management of chronic conditions, preventative health screenings, behavioral health, dental health, and more. However, they would cease to exist without the support of partnerships, donations, and most importantly our volunteers.
This National Volunteer Week, the Idaho Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (IAFCC) owes a great deal of gratitude to the dedicated volunteers that keep each of our member clinics operational. Idaho’s free clinics hosted over a thousand volunteers in 2022, many of them healthcare professionals, who spent close to 27,000 hours of their time providing care to Idahoans in need.
“Volunteers are the heart and soul of Idaho's free clinics. In our clinics, we witness neighbors helping neighbors every single day. Idaho is still a place where the spirit of generosity and commitment to community thrive,” said Mindy Hong, Executive Director of The Idaho Association of Free and Charitable Clinics.
This past year, 13 Idaho free clinics provided 18,775 patient visits, 12,830 prescriptions, and 1,648 dental fillings and extractions at no cost, all thanks to our incredible volunteers. With the help of our partners and volunteers, $6.8 million in healthcare services and goods were delivered.
Karen Scriver, IAFCC Board Member and Clinic Director for Vineyard Boise Free Clinic said, “Our volunteers' heartfelt care is as important as their skills in supporting our patients. Vineyard Boise Free Clinic has been entirely staffed by volunteers compassionately providing outstanding medical care for those in need since 2000.”
At IAFCC, we are inspired by our volunteers to work harder for our clinics and for Idahoans experiencing healthcare hardships. This National Volunteer Week, IAFCC recommits to the work of securing ongoing support for our clinics and volunteers, while bringing attention to the growing need for access to quality healthcare in our great State. At this time, IAFCC asks students, professionals, and anyone with a giving heart to consider volunteering for a free clinic. Factors such as recession, Medicaid Unwinding, and healthcare insurance churn are predicted to strain the current capacity of clinics. To learn more about how you can help, please visit https://www.idahoafcc.org/volunteer.