Community Care Clinic Offers Affordable Healthcare

By Caroline Monday

Marian Peters saw a need for affordable healthcare in her community, so she has stepped up and is working to fill that need with the Community Care Clinic.

The clinic is the much-needed new kid on the block of Watauga County nonprofits. It is located on Health Center Drive, in the same building as the Hunger Coalition, and keeps hours on Wednesday evenings from 4 to 7:30, though Peters said she hopes to extend those hours.

Their mission is to serve the health needs of individuals in Watauga County who do not have health insurance, a problem Peters said is widespread in the area and seems to only be getting worse. “It’s enormous,” she said, noting that the problem is more dire that most people think. As it becomes more and more expensive for workplaces to provide health benefits, many employers feel it necessary to downsize or cut employees to part-time as to not have to provide insurance.

Shirley Edwards, a clinic board member and former social worker said she remembers a time when the health department could meet many of the community’s healthcare needs, but that is no longer the case. She said the creation of this clinic is a good example of how members of the community work to create a group to fill a need.

Peters said the clinic has received great support from the community. Peters sees what patients she can, as a physicians assistant, and invites volunteers from the healthcare community to serve at the clinic as well. She said Watauga Medical Center, the Health Department and other community agencies have been very supportive. The hospital has donated $75,000 in services, performing procedures the clinic cannot accommodate.

The clinic is located in a facility that used to be occupied by the Health Department and that easily lends itself to the clinic’s purpose. The locations connection to the Hunger Coalition is especially convenient as the two agencies could potentially serve many of the same clients. The Hunger Coalition’s services include a free pharmacy.

One of the greatest challenges facing the clinic right now is achieving their official status as a nonprofit, a process that can be lengthy and labor intensive. The clinic is able to accept tax-deductible donations through the Hunger Coalition. Those interested in contributing can make out their donations to the Hunger Coalition, specifying that it is for the use of the Community Care Clinic. Anyone interested in learning more about making donations of time or money should contact Marian Peters at ptrsmjp@yahoo.com.