Family Community Clinic – Where Compassion is the Currency
by TIMIR BANERJEE , MD & YOUNG-WON ( CHRISTINA ) KIM MS , MPH
There are about 13 free or income-based clinics in and around the Louisville area to help the disenfranchised , and Family Community Clinic ( FCC ) is another example of Louisville being a compassionate city , as we ’ ve been described in the past .
The FCC is the brainchild of the late Mr . George Fischer and his wife Mary Lee Fischer , and since its inception in 2011 , FCC has helped more than 37,000 uninsured people with their medical needs . Doctors of different specialties , nurse practitioners , dentists , nurses , students and others with varied skills and backgrounds volunteer their time . At FCC , interpreters and scribes participate to facilitate the process of running the clinic under the leadership of Ms . Ellen Wells , RN , the Executive Director of the organization . The clinic is staffed by five employees , most of whom are bilingual , making it easier for those that do not speak English .
This is a place where the currency is compassion and love . The qualifications needed to work here include willingness and ability to provide support to those who are financially challenged and residents in a new country . Most people seen in the clinic are from different countries such as Latin America , Africa , the Indian subcontinent , East Europe and East Asia . At the Family Community Clinic everyone practices Xenia , the ancient Greek custom of offering protection and hospitality to strangers . We try to follow the principles based on Matthew 25:36 and Matthew 15:18 . We minister to the sick , and exercise restraint in our behavior and attitude . We are welcoming in our utterances and sensitive to those who cannot speak for themselves in a foreign land . We are the health care providers for these men and women !
Here at FCC , we have oncologists , neurosurgeons , psychiatrists , family doctors , dermatologists and dentists and we assist patients with appointments in other specialties when needed . FCC provides preventive care and flu vaccines for free . We refer our patients for ophthalmological , cardiac and gynecological needs to facilities that can provide service at minimal cost to the patients . We have contracted with facilities for blood tests , CT scans and MRI scans . This is all due to the generosity of many community donors and we continue to grow with the help of our compassionate community members . But we need volunteers in the areas of neurology , rheumatology and internal medicine . We need funds for a CT scan and X-ray facilities that need to be added to the clinic .
FCC is a community of people who have decided to extend their hands , much like Charlton Heston did as Moses in “ The 10 Commandments ” at the brink of the Red Sea , asking for God ’ s help to assist His people . It is the opportunity of loving that attracted me to this clinic and I find the free cookies , water and camaraderie in the break room rather enticing !
Dr . Banerjee is a neurosurgeon and longtime member of GLMS .
Young-Won ( Christina ) Kim MS , MPH is the Director of Volunteer Coordination and Marketing at Family Community Clinic . She can be reached at christina @ famcomclinic . org for any questions about the clinic . ( non-member )
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