NAFC C.A.R.E. Free Clinic Heads to West Coast to Provide Medical Care to Seattle-Tacoma Area Uninsured

TACOMA, Wash., March 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Free Clinics (NAFC) is excited to bring a C.A.R.E. (Communities Are Responding Everyday) Clinic to the West Coast and is urging medical and non-medical volunteers to register now for the large-scale free clinic for the uninsured to be held in Tacoma next month.

The NAFC, in cooperation with the Washington Free Clinic Association (WFCA), will sponsor the C.A.R.E. Clinic at the Tacoma Dome, 2727 East D Street, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (patient hours) on Saturday, April 30.

"Although many, including Congress, believe that the issue of health care reform has been settled, the plight of the uninsured has not diminished," NAFC Executive Director Nicole Lamoureux said. "About 14 percent of Washington's non-elderly adult residents do not have health insurance. This C.A.R.E. Clinic will give some of them the opportunity to receive much-needed health care with the help of their fellow citizens (both medical and non-medical) whom we hope will volunteer at this event."

C.A.R.E. Clinics are held not only to provide high-quality, free medical care to the uninsured but also to connect these people with resources in the area, such as local free clinics and other safety-net providers.

Both medical and non-medical volunteers are needed to participate in this one-day free clinic. Medical volunteers needed include: doctors of medicine, doctors of osteopathic medicine, nurse practitioners, physician's assistants, registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, emergency medical technicians, licensed clinical social workers and more. Non-medical volunteers are needed to help with documentation, logistical support, patient intake and translation, as well as to be patient greeters and escorts.

Information on the event and how to register to volunteer is available online at: www.freeclinics.us and www.regonline.com/wacare. Volunteers are needed not only on the day of the event, April 30, but also to help with setup on April 29.

"The Washington Free Clinic Association supports the work of free clinics across Washington, and at the C.A.R.E. Clinic, we strive to support the community partnerships that make this work possible as well," WFCA Executive Director Katie Rains said. "Free clinics are both based on the needs present within a community and also dependent upon the resources and support of that community. This clinic represents both, as well as the deeply needed services that our communities are organizing to provide throughout the year."

This will be the 10th in a series of large, mostly one-day C.A.R.E. Clinics held around the country to bring together physicians and other health care professionals, as well as non-medical volunteers, to serve the needs of thousands of people who might otherwise go without medical care. Since September 2009, more than 11,000 uninsured patients received medical treatment at C.A.R.E. Clinics in Houston, New Orleans (twice), Little Rock, Kansas City, Hartford, Atlanta, Charlotte and Washington, D.C.

About the National Association of Free Clinics:

The National Association of Free Clinics is the only nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization whose mission is solely focused on the issues and needs of more than 1,200 free clinics and the people they serve in the United States.

Founded in 2001 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., the NAFC is an effective advocate for the issues and concerns of free clinics, their volunteer workforce of doctors, dentists, nurses, therapists, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, technicians and other health care professionals, as well as the patients served by free clinics in communities throughout the nation.

For more information about the NAFC and to donate to help support the work of the organization, visit www.freeclinics.us.  

About the Washington Free Clinic Association:

The Washington Free Clinic Association (WFCA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to strengthen and support the free clinics of Washington through advocacy, education and professional networking.  The WFCA currently represents 26 of the 30+ identified free clinics in Washington state.  These clinics are formed in an effort to improve access to care for the uninsured.  Each clinic offers unique services ranging from acute medical, chronic disease management, dental care, vision care, counseling, as well as referral to many more valuable resources.

The WFCA was founded in 2008, and in just 3 short years, the WFCA has developed a variety of programs to strengthen the free clinics around the state, as well as to support the start-up of new free clinics. To learn more about the WFCA or to make a contribution to support this important work, please visit www.wafreeclinics.org.

SOURCE National Association of Free Clinics