HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – Free healthcare clinics throughout Virginia have seen an influx of patients over the past few years, and according to the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, patient demand continues to rise.
As the cost of living rises, so does the demand for Virginia’s free clinics. The VAFCC said patients served at free clinics jumped by 19% in 2022, and rose by another 32% in 2023.
The Shenandoah Valley is no stranger to the issue.
Based in Harrisonburg, the Blue Ridge Free Clinic offers free services for physical, mental and dental health to those who need them. Susan Adamson, a family nurse practitioner and the executive director for the BRFC, said clinics around the commonwealth have been at or above compacity for the past six to eight months.
With every exam room full, staff are forced to make some tough decisions about patient care.
“We have to decide when people call. We have to triage what’s the most important or pressing need, so it takes a lot of clinical judgement, Adamson said. “It’s not a fast decision. We have a nurse manager now who is reviewing the cases when people come in to find out what their health needs are.”
For patients with less urgent needs, it is still difficult to get an appointment shortly after calling. Clinical manager Beth Dovel said the clinic tries to schedule patients’ appointments within two weeks of their initial phone call, but it has become increasingly challenging to meet that goal.
“We are having to put patients on a call back list, and try to call them if we have cancellations,” Dovel said. “We’ve been seeing a lot of dental needs within the community, and we’re trying to get to those patients as much as possible.”
Amid the increased patient demand, clinics are also facing financial barriers.
The BRFC is run entirely by volunteers and funded by donations, two things free clinics struggle to come by as inflation rises. Adamson said more volunteers and funding would make it easier to meet patient demand.
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