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They always say that everyone complains about the weather --but no one ever does anything about it!

The same thing could be said about the deteriorating situation facing the medically uninsured in this country — there is much discussion about it but no viable solution is forthcoming.

In Orlando, a unique organization called Shepherd’s Hope has chosen to take action rather than join the chorus of complaints.

The idea of an organization like Shepherd’s Hope that could help bridge the gap between the uninsured and the medical services they need was the inspiration of one man, Dr. William S. Barnes, pastor of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, who conceived the idea as he walked along the beach on a summer vacation in 1996. He felt called to do something for local residents without resources for the medical care they need.

When Barnes presented the idea of helping these families to his congregation, his church family responded enthusiastically, offering the help that he needed to breathe life into the plan. It was a tall order: doctors and nurses would volunteer their time on weekday evenings; local churches and schools would volunteer clinical space; and area hospitals would accept referrals without compensation for routine laboratory and radiology service. He hoped that, in many cases, county health agencies would provide follow up and specialty services for patients who need more advanced care, such as neurological and orthopedic consultation or even surgery.

To be eligible for service through Shepherd’s Hope, a patient would need to have an income at or below 200 percent of the poverty level, be uninsured and ineligible for assisted healthcare programs.

No paperwork would be required and patients would be seen on a walk-in basis, with the provision of appointments for some follow-up visits. There would be no guarantee that every patient who showed up would be seen during the regular hours.

Barnes’ plan worked. There was an immense response to the first Shepherd’s Hope clinic. Families drove long distances to be seen by volunteer doctors and nurses at no charge. Other faith communities saw the need and responded by opening their own Shepherd’s Hope locations.

Dr. Greg Zittel, assistant medical director at one of the largest clinics, said his church family at Holy Cross Lutheran was inspired to help “when Pastor Paul brought the idea to us.”

“We built one of the largest Shepherd’s Hope clinics with the help of four other churches,” explained Zittel, who along with his wife, Colleen, a physician who specializes in alleviating chronic back pain, volunteers at Shepherd’s Hope.
Shepherd’s Hope provides healthcare services usually offered in a family practice setting, with volunteer medical personnel treating respiratory infections, skin disorders, gynecological concerns, urinary tract infections and other common illnesses.

Volunteers have provided more than 60,000 free medical visits over the past eight years since Shepherd’s Hope was founded. Currently, there are more than 1,500 volunteers; most work at least one night a month.

General office or support volunteers work alongside licensed healthcare professionals in small clinics at one of seven locations. The clinics--open for a few hours two or three evenings a week from 6 to 9 p.m. — maintain a large supply of donated medicines used to treat common illnesses that can be provided free of charge when available. If donated medicines are not available, the licensed medical volunteer writes a prescription, which is the responsibility of the patient to get filled.

Cindi Kopelman, president of Shepherd’s Hope, said the volunteer response from the Orlando medical community has been overwhelming.

“Most of our volunteer doctors and nurses have worked at least a 10-hour shift before showing up in the evening to serve at our free clinics,” she said, “but as one of our beloved doctors told us, ‘I always arrive tired, but I always leave happy.’”

Zittel says at his clinic, which has six to nine exam rooms for the two or three physicians there each night, they see an average of 25 to 30 patients.

“I always walk in to a full waiting room,” he said. Zittel is an OB-GYN but, because free pre-natal care is available from other sources, he only does GYN procedures at the clinic.

Kopelman pointed out that giving back to the community seems to be second nature for medical providers. Zittel argues that providers get back more than they give in terms of the satisfaction of knowing they have helped.

“They got into healthcare in the first place because of a desire to take care of people,” he said. “So when it comes to asking for a doctor or nurse to donate just one evening per month, it’s usually an easy sell because they already have a heart to service.”



November 2007

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