By Amy L. Ashbridge
Staff Writer
Organizers are taking steps to make a proposed free medical clinic a reality in Oneonta.
A board of directors has formed for the Oneonta Free Clinic, a project started by the Unitarian Universalist Society in Oneonta. The clinic would provide free health care to people in the region.
"There are people in the area that need our services," said Dr. Ben Friedell, president of the board.
Board members include Grace Smith; Dan Maskin, executive director of Opportunities For Otsego; the Rev. Judith Thistle, director of chaplaincy at A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital; retired medical social worker Allan Schramm; and employees from Springbrook and the Arc Otsego.
Schramm is the vice president, Smith is the treasurer and Karen Palmer is the secretary.
According to a news release from the clinic, the "target population" would be people without insurance who have a household income of less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The poverty level for a family of four in 2007 is $20,650, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
The next step is to find space for the clinic and become a tax-exempt organization, Smith said Tuesday.
"Once we can find a location, it will start up very quickly," she said. "It will be a wonderful thing for Oneonta."
The clinic can accept donations once it becomes a tax-exempt organization, Friedell said. Providers would not be paid for their time.
"Initially everything will be voluntary," Friedell said Tuesday.
He said there wasn’t a preliminary budget for the clinic. It is looking for donated space and will likely receive donations of supplies.
In terms of money, Friedell said, "We expect to get donations from individuals, donations from organizations, and I think we’ll be looking to get grants."
Smith said the board is also looking for dentists who would be interested in participating in the clinic. There’s a shortage of affordable dental care, she said Tuesday.
Friedell said the clinic would likely be open about six hours a week after it first opens. The hours would mainly be in the late afternoon and night, he said, because providers at the clinic would mainly be people who are working. He said the clinic would likely "start small" but then get bigger.
The clinic’s website is http://www.oneontafreeclinic.org.
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Amy L. Ashbridge can be reached at aashbridge@thedailystar.com or 432-1000, ext. 213 or (800) 721-1000, ext. 213.
