Free Medical Clinic

The National Association of Free Clinics (NAFC) hasand government offices to help gather volunteers and
established a toll-free patient-appointment telephoneotherwise prepare for the free clinic.
number and a volunteer-registration Web site for theThis team includes to date Arkansas Children's
free medical clinic scheduled for Saturday, NovemberHospital, Arkansas Heart Hospital, Arkansas Surgical
21, at the Statehouse Convention Center in downtownHospital, Baptist Health, Harmony Health Clinic, St.
Little Rock, Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter announcedVincent Health System, University of Arkansas for
today.In addition, volunteers can call the toll-freeMedical Sciences, Arkansas Association of Charitable
patient-appointment line, identify themselves asClinics, Arkansas Black Nurses Association, American
volunteers and register by phone.Red Cross of Greater Arkansas, Arkansas Medical
The Little Rock C.A.R.E. Clinic will provide basic medicalSociety, Arkansas Hospital Association, Arkansas
care and health education for people without healthNurses Association, City Connections, Community
insurance, ages 6 to 65, from noon to 7 p.m. C.A.R.E.Health Centers of Arkansas, United Methodist Church,
stands for "Communities Are Responding Everyday."the City of Little Rock, the City of North Little Rock
The non-profit NAFC will manage the clinic withand Arkansas Department of Health.
support from Arkansas volunteers, including both"The outpouring of support from individuals and
medical professionals and non-medical support staff.organizations who want to help has been tremendous,"
Our purpose is to serve the uninsured, and to treatHalter said. "When people are in need, Arkansans are
everyone with dignity and respect," said, Nicolealways the first in line to serve."
Lamoureux executive director of the Alexandria,The NAFC will provide food and beverages for clinic
Va.-based NAFC. "This is not just about providing carevolunteers, as well as directions to the clinic and
for one day. The best outcome will be for everyinformation about parking. Group orientations will be
patient to leave the clinic with the knowledge of whereheld during the first half-hour of each volunteer's shift.
to go in the future to receive medical care."Clinic volunteers from outside the Little Rock area can
The NAFC is seeking an all-volunteer medical staff ofbook a room at the Peabody Little Rock hotel, which is
120 physicians, 150 nurses, 25 to 50 lab technicians andconnected with the Statehouse Convention Center, for
500 non-medical volunteers. Physicians needed include,a discounted rate if they register by Friday, November
but are not limited to, general practitioners, internal13. Volunteers cannot be seen as patients.
medicine doctors, pediatricians and endocrinologists.The NAFC operates as an advocate for more than
Also needed are a clinical director and a medical1,200 free medical clinics and the people they serve
director.nationwide. Recently, the non-profit has received more
Halter said that pediatric patients may go either to thethan $1 million from people responding to a call from
Statehouse Convention Center or directly to ArkansasMSNBC news anchor Keith Olbermann for free
Children's Hospital, which operates a pediatric clinicmedical clinics in six states, including Arkansas.
each Saturday that provides care for children, includingOlbermann devoted a full hour of his primetime
uninsured children. Shuttle runs are planned, as needed,"Countdown with Keith Olbermann" program to health
from the free clinic to the hospital.care, during which he publicized NAFC's efforts.
The Lieutenant Governor helped the NAFC secureHalter has said he believes the one-day Little Rock
80,000 square feet of space at the Statehouseclinic also will help raise awareness of the free medical
Convention Center for the free clinic. Halter's officeclinics already operating in Arkansas that work daily to
has since connected the NAFC with an Arkansasfill the gaps in health care for the uninsured,
team of health-care providers, non-profit associationsunderinsured and medically underserved.