Volunteers Are Needed for Large Free Clinic Event in Connecticut to Help Uninsured

HARTFORD, Conn., Jan. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Free Clinics (NAFC) is calling on physicians and other health care professionals, as well as non-medical volunteers, throughout Connecticut and the entire nation to participate in the large free clinic for uninsured individuals that will be held at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford on Wednesday, Feb. 3.

"All types of volunteers are needed to participate in this one-day, life-altering event," NAFC Executive Director Nicole Lamoureux said. "A few hundred doctors and other medical providers and several hundred other volunteers are expected to participate in the C.A.R.E. (Communities Are Responding Everyday) Clinic, providing care for all types of medical issues at no cost to participants from noon until 7 p.m."

The medical volunteers needed include doctors of medicine, doctors of osteopathy, nurse practitioners, physician's assistants, registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, emergency medical technicians, medical administrators, 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. Help also is needed for setting up the clinic, as well as breaking it down.

"Come help the uninsured gain access to care and health screenings that they otherwise may not receive," Lamoureux said. "C.A.R.E. needs you to be a part of this historical and meaningful event by sharing your talents."

At similar C.A.R.E. Clinics during 2009, care was provided to more than 1,700 uninsured patients in Houston, more than 1,000 in New Orleans, more than 1,000 in Little Rock at one-day clinics and almost 2,300 in Kansas City at a two-day clinic. This was possible only through thousands of volunteers who helped people lacking insurance not only to get care but also to get connected with safety-net services available to them near where they live.  

People interested in volunteering may register online at http://www.regonline.com/ctcare. There are a variety of time slots and jobs that people can sign up for, as well as descriptions of the various jobs available, all of which can be found on the Web site. Patients also can find information at that Web site or they can call 877-233-5159 to make appointments. In addition, information for volunteers is available at http://freeclinics.us.

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 in 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.

SOURCE National Association of Free Clinics