April 29, 2009
The Community Care Clinic of Dare has a healthy portfolio of success stories.

Not long ago, a 39-year-old commercial fisherman from Manteo came to the Community Care Clinic of Dare (CCCD) out of desperation, after a series of recurring medical problems, including uneven gait, slurred speech, and poor muscle coordination, steadily took over his life and left him out of work and without health insurance.

“A lot of people think I’m drunk” he said, “but I quit drinking years ago.” 

Dr. John Haresch, CCCD volunteer medical director, did everything possible to determine the problem, with diagnostic tests, including blood tests, a thyroid ultrasound, an MRI of the brain, and an MRI of the spine.

Generally, the clinic is unable to pay for these expensive tests, but occasionally funding is provided through good-hearted donors. In this case, the Outer Banks Hospital Development Council through the University Health Systems Community Benefits Grants stepped in, and Regional Medical Services provided extensive discounts.
 
Haresch, through the CCCD, was also able to produce the necessary documentation to show that the patient was eligible for disability. Through the work of the clinic, the patient affirms he has “reasons to be hopeful. I just want to spend time with my family, maybe return to work.”

On Hatteras Island, a woman who had battled health problems for most of her life, including bone cancer as a child, came to the clinic in 2005 for help. With her weight over 225, she was battling diabetes, high cholesterol, bad eyesight, and liver problems. With a bag of 20 to 30 medications, she was struck another blow when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005.

She was one of the clinic’s original patients, and in three years, together they accomplished a lot.

“The Clinic did everything for me,” she says. “They did my blood work, ultrasounds and x-rays. They referred me to an oncologist and a nutritionist.”

Through the clinic’s help and her own determination, she's 130 pounds lighter and medication free. The cancer is gone, and she attests that today she is “the healthiest I’ve ever been!”

Not every day at the free clinic produces miracles, but Linda Saturno, the clinic director, is proud of the clinic’s track record since it’s inception in 2004 by a health care task force that was appointed after a 2003 study found that up to 20 percent of Dare County residents were without health insurance.

And in an economic climate that includes a 14.6 percent unemployment rate, one of the highest in the state, the free clinic is as important to local residents as ever, operating the first and third Tuesday night every month from its office at the new Dare County Office Building in Frisco.
  
Staffed with a combination of volunteers and paid staff, the clinic’s mantra is that “Basic healthcare is a necessity...not a luxury.”

Saturno is proud that since the first county clinic opened in Kitty Hawk in 2005, these words have never been forgotten.

“Many people come to us in tears because they’ve never had to ask for anything before, and they’re embarrassed about it,” she says, “But that can happen to any one of us. Any one of us can lose our job, lose our insurance, and it can happen tomorrow.

“That’s what we remind ourselves of, and we respect every single one of our patients. They don’t get substandard anything. I’m real proud of our staff for that.”

The clinic has been very resourceful in using the funds at hand, as well as taking advantage of discounts and volunteer work.

“Our total budget is about $400,000, and we provide close to $2 millio  in services,” Saturno says.

The clinic is funded by community, public, and private donations. Dare County is the biggest contributor at $100,000 annually.

To be eligible to receive services, according to the clinic’s Web site, the patient must be over 18 years old and:

•    Live or Work in Dare County
•    Be uninsured or underinsured (not have comprehensive health coverage)
•    Have income at or below 225% of the federal poverty level if living in Dare County
•    Have income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level if working in Dare County and living elsewhere
•    Total bank account(s) balances not to exceed $1,000
•    Not have access to an alternate free health clinic
•    Not currently enrolled or eligible for Medicare D


For instance, the 2008 federal poverty guideline for a family of four is $21,200.  The family living in Dare County could qualify with an income of 225 percent of that amount, which is $47,700. The same family that works in Dare but lives elsewhere could qualify with an income of 200 percent of the poverty level or $42,700.

When patients visit the clinic, everything is free, from the examination to the needed medications. Providing medications at no cost is one of the clinic’s main goals.

“People who used to be able to pay for the medications simply can’t do it anymore,” explains Saturno.

Through word of mouth and simple gestures, like passing out fliers at the local Post offices, the clinic has become increasingly busy. On Hatteras, 18 new patients were registered in January, February, and March, a big jump for a local clinic that started with just a few patients.

“Our enrollment is way up, and we’re really working hard to stretch the dollars that we have,” says Saturno. “Unfortunately, the need has gone up, and our funding has gone down.”

The Buxton staff is spearheaded by Dr. T. Bentley Crabtree, who has volunteered since the beginning when he worked alongside Carey LeSieur, a well-respected nurse practitioner who died away in 2007. Crabtree is also the Hatteras Island representative on the CCCD board.

“He continues to work at the clinic because he loves it, but also it was important to Carey,” says Saturno.

Also on the Hatteras staff is a part-time, paid clinic nurse, Pam Donahue, and regular volunteers who include Dianne LaNasa, a registered nurse, and Patti White, Judy Sagan, Naomi Sallinger, Frankie Anderson, and Cathy Gaskill. Carol Tolson, a registered nurse, also has been a volunteer at the clinic.

Saturno praises the Hatteras staff for an adherence to the CCCD’s policy of providing the best care possible. As an example, she refers to a local male patient who was diagnosed with breast cancer and would have died if he had not come into the clinic.

“Dr. Crabtree contacted a colleague of his who…removed [the tumor] for free. He continues to get follow-up care and medication from us. That’s just one instance out of many when Dr. Crabtree went the extra mile,” says Saturno.

The CCCD is always looking for practitioner volunteers and is grateful for any and all donations, but Saturno is proud of the work they have accomplished with the funds they have available.

“We may operate on a shoestring budget, but we’re able to provide first rate medical care,” says Saturno.

“The important thing is that for anybody who needs us, we want them to know that they can come here and get the same kind of treatment as if they were paying. Patients first are our first value, and for us, it’s all about respect and dignity.”


FOR MORE INFORMATION

The Community Care Clinic is located at the new county office building on Highway 12 in Frisco and is currently open the first and third Tuesday of every month from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. New patients may also register during these times. To learn more about the Community Care Clinic, including eligibility guidelines, or to make a donation, please contact the clinic at 252-261-3041.
http://www.dareclinic.org

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