MOREHEAD – The People’s Clinic Foundation, Inc., of Morehead has closed its doors after 19 years of free medical care to citizens of Rowan and 10 other area counties.
It was chartered as a non-profit, tax-exempt charitable organization in 2004 and began seeing patients in 2005 under the direction of Executive Director Kay Stiner and a volunteer Board of Directors whose members included Mark Neff, Yvonne Baldwin, Willie Roberts, Diana Walke, Dr. Enawgaw Mehari, Dr. Alban Wheeler, and Peggy Reeves. Jim Brandenburg was executive director for 11 years.
Until about five years ago, the People’s Clinic had a constant patient load of 100 to 150 per month from its service area. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), the accompanying expansion of Medicaid, and the creation of the health insurance marketplace, the need for free clinic medical care for the uninsured and underinsured declined substantially. With fewer patients to see, the clinic’s volunteer medical providers sought other opportunities to use their skills.
As a result of these changes in the health care landscape, the demand for free services at the People’s Clinic has declined to fewer than a dozen patients per month and the nature of the care shifted primarily to dental procedures with a few referrals in mental health and food security.
Realizing that declining patient load meant fewer budgetary needs, the People’s Clinic significantly reduced its fundraising activities except for some modest grants.
From the beginning, St. Claire Regional Medical Center, now St. Claire HealthCare, has been the No. 1 financial supporter of the People’s Clinic. In addition to funding the executive director’s position, the hospital has provided access to medical tests, medications, and supplies at little or no cost to clinic patients.
Donald Lloyd, St. Claire’s current CEO and president, has served on the People’s Clinic Board of Directors since coming to Morehead in 2019. He has continued the hospital’s level of support and has pledged to embrace the People’s Clinic’s current mission priorities of assisting uninsured medical, dental, and mental health patients and helping families facing food insecurity.
With those assurances from St. Claire and the ongoing support of those who believe access to medical care is a basic human right, the Board of Directors closed the People’s Clinic effective May 1, 2024.
In keeping with federal and state law, the modest remaining financial assets of the People’s Clinic are being distributed equally to three other non-profit charities with similar missions now serving this area. They are the New Hope Medical Clinic in Owingsville, Hope Pregnancy Care Center in Morehead, and God’s Pantry Food Bank Distribution Center in Morehead for support of backpack food supplies for children.
“We are so grateful to those wonderful, compassionate citizens who started the People’s Clinic 19 years ago and to those individuals, organizations, and businesses who have supported us with nearly $500,000 in gifts through these 19 years,” said Keith Kappes, People’s Clinic board chair. “We are especially thankful for the dozens of volunteers and medical providers who staffed the clinic and those dedicated individuals who also served without pay as our board members. There are many individuals alive today because the People’s Clinic was here.”
Kappes also singled out the PC’s landlord, Phil Tackett, for his constant encouragement and financial support of the Clinic’s mission.
Serving on the Board of Directors at the time of closure were Keith Kappes, Donald Lloyd, Judge-Executive Harry Clark, Shelley Irving, Mark Rhodes, Dr. Lisa Goldstein-Sexton, Dr. Lisa Wallace, Dr. Angela Tackett, Dr. Stephen Damron, Holly Pollock, Dr. Emily Settle, Lincoln Caudill, and Dr. Bo Shi.
#######
(Media Contact: Keith Kappes, 606-356-0912)
