Little information exists to accurately describe the free and charitable clinic movement and community; comprehensive, and up-to-date information about even basic information such as how many free and charitable clinics exist, where they are located, how many patients they serve and what range of services they provide are not available
We are excited to finalize the completion of the National Survey of Free & Charitable Clinics, the first survey of all known free and charitable clinics in nearly 10 years.
The last time this information was obtained was in 2005 when Julie Darnell, PhD, Associate Professor of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago, conducted a national survey of free clinics. The results of this first survey were published in 2010 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Given the tremendous changes that have been instituted in the domestic health care landscape, Dr. Darnell has conducted a second follow-up survey that has enabled a current picture of free and charitable clinics while also providing an opportunity to assess and document the impact of health reform on the sector as well as identify new needs and resource gaps. Dr. Darnell has presented initial survey results at the 2015 NAFC Charitable Healthcare Symposium. Findings from the survey will be shared with survey respondents, state associations, and other organizations serving the free and chartitable clinic sector and will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.
During the summer and fall 2015, free and charitable clinics were asked to complete an electronic survey seeking information about their clinic. Thank you to those who have completed the survey. We believe that the survey results can help you prepare grant applications, educate stakeholders, recruit volunteers, and inform your strategic planning efforts.
The usefulness of the study depends in part on how accurately we are able to describe free and charitable clinics. Final results will be posted on Safetynetcenter and shared with our partner network once available.
Please click here for answers to frequently asked questions about the 2015 Survey of Free & Charitable Clinics.
Please click here to find Dr. Julie Darnell and Lindsay O’Brien’s presentation at the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics 2015 Symposium on the survey’s preliminary findings.
Arkansas Association of Charitable Clinics • Association of Clinicians for the Underserved • California Association of Free & Charitable Clinics • Christian Community Health Fellowship • ClinicNET • Direct Relief International • Empowering Community Health Outreach • Free Clinic Association of Pennsylvania • Georgia Charitable Care Network • Free Clinics of Iowa • Free Clinics of Michigan • Florida Association of Free & Charitable Clinics • Illinois Association of Free & Charitable Clinics • Kentucky Association of Free & Charitable Clinics • Missouri Association of Free & Charitable Clinics • Mobile Health Clinics Association • North Carolina Association of Free Clinics • Ohio Association of Free Clinics • Oklahoma Charitable Clinic Association • South Carolina Free Clinic Association • Tennessee Charitable Care Network • Texas Association of Charitable Clinics • Virginia Association of Free & Charitable Clinics • Vermont Coalition of Clinics for the Uninsured • Volunteers in Medicine • Washington Healthcare Access Alliance • West Virginia Association of Free Clinics • Wisconsin Association of Free & Charitable Clinics
As a thank you for partipating in the survey, Southwest flight vouchers were raffled to clinics that completed the survey. Southwest Airlines is an Annual Emergency Response Partner of Americares and has generously donated vouchers to Americares in order to enhance Americares capacity.