free clinic update

Craig Coffey

FREE CLINIC UPDATE

Flagler County shuts down free clinic'sHammock outreachOfficials cite 'misunderstanding' regarding use of community center

By Patrick GrovesCorrespondentPublished: Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 5:30 a.m.

BUNNELL — Flagler County governmentofficials have shut down outreach efforts to aiduninsured residents of The Hammock whocannot travel to Bunnell. The initiative was thelatest endeavor of the Flagler County FreeClinic to help those in-need.

“It’s not a food bank location, it’s not a medicallocation, it’s a community center,” CountyAdministrator Craig Coffey said this week.

Coffey contacted officials with the Flagler County Free Clinic after learning of plansto provide a weekly presence by the organization at the Hammock CommunityCenter on Mala Compra Road. Coffey said he and Dr. Stephen Bickel, president ofthe clinic's board of directors, agreed to cease further outreach at that location. Theclinic is an autonomous nonprofit organization.

“We thought the details had been worked out about these outreach clinics, butapparently not,” Bickel said in an email Wednesday. “We’re hopeful that somethingcan be worked out so we can do these outreach clinics, but at this point in timethings seem to be on hold.”

Coffey said the “function” of a community center is to serve as a recreational facilityand not as a place where residents can receive medical treatment on a weekly basis.Another off-site operation of the free clinic, the Hidden Trails Community Center inNorth Daytona, can continue signing up and seeing patients from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.the second and fourth Saturday of each month, he said.

Coffey recommended that clinic officials collaborate with churches in The Hammockto continue outreach efforts there.

“I’m not sure we’re going to set up weekly or daily clinics anywhere else in thecounty,” Coffey said, referring to the Flagler County Free Clinic's primary location at700 E. Moody Blvd in Bunnell.

The goal of the outreach program is to provide care to uninsured people who do nothave transportation to the Bunnell facility, said Terri Belleto, the clinic's executivedirector.

“It doesn’t affect us directly but it affects the people we serve,” Belleto said.

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In Flagler County, an estimated 5,677 people above the age of 18 do not have healthinsurance, according to 2014 U.S. Census Bureau data.

Coffey said the uninsured can find transportation if they seek it.

“By and large, they find transportation,” he said.

The county offers a bus service for those who qualify that could take people to freeclinic appointments, he said. Flagler County Public Transportation requiresindividuals to schedule service a week prior to their appointments, according to theuser’s manual available on the county website. There is a $4 fare for round-trip rideswithin the county and individuals may apply online or call the office and have anapplication faxed or mailed to their address.

“(The process) is pretty straight forward for those who say they don’t havetransportation,” Coffey said.

County Commissioner Nate McLaughlin said the off-site outreach programs werethe result of conversations he had with Bickel and Pastor Charles Silano of GraceTabernacle Ministries.

“It kind of got blown out of proportion,” McLaughlin said Wednesday. “What we’retrying to do is triage work.”

Silano has been operating a food bank out of the Hammock Community Center eachTuesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the past six months, Coffey said.

Silano did not wish to comment when contacted by a reporter.

The free clinic partnered with Silano to sign up patients and arrange doctorappointments in conjunction with his food bank operation, Bickel said.

However, the clinic did not have authorization to use the facility in that manner,Coffey said. He had not spoken with McLaughlin, Bickel or Silano about the outreachplan prior to its launch, he said.

“This is a little misunderstanding,” Coffey said. “They’re our partners and we’veworked with them for years.”

The county has supported the free clinic financially for the past three years,according to the approved annual budget. The county dispersed $12,000 between2013-14 to help the clinic pay rent and $17,500 in 2014-15 for the same reason. Forthe 2015-16 fiscal year, the county increased funding to $55,000 for the expansion ofclinic services, Coffey said.

“In general, the county has been very supportive of our efforts to help the residentsof this county who lack health insurance,” Bickel wrote.

Lindsay Rew, spokeswoman for Florida Hospital Flagler, said hospital officials werenot aware of the issue. The hospital offers free diagnostic services to patients of theclinic, such as laboratory work and imaging services.

“As always, we look to support the free clinic’s efforts in any ways possible and alsoappreciate the county’s involvement in supporting health care efforts for theindigent,” she said in an email Wednesday.

Bickel said he plans to work with the county to resolve the issue and arrive at acompromise.

“Regarding plans for the future, we don’t have an alternative plan right now,” hewrote. “We’ll have further discussions with everyone involved and go from there.”


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Coffey said he is open to discussion.

“They want to work with us and we want to work with them,” he said of the freeclinic.

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