Good Samaritan Free Clinic: Knoxville

FCI Clinic Managers Meeting

Margaret Cramer Clinic: Des Moines

Jubilee Community Health Clinic: Waterloo

Margaret Cramer Clinic: Des Moines

FCI Clinic Managers Meeting

FCI Clinic Managers Meeting

FCI Clinic Managers Meeting

Corinthian Child Health Clinic: Des Moines Good Samaritn Free Clinic: Knoxville Gateway Free Clinic: Clinton

Research indicates a funded administrative core is crucial to the success of volunteer-based initiatives, such as free medical clinics. The FCI Administrative Office employs two full-time employees; an Executive Director and a Clinical Coordinator. Support through the FCI Administrative Office provides essential operational services such as insurance, accounting, tax filing, marketing, technology, education, meeting facilitation, association participation, pharmaceuticals, medical supplies and resources.

Our thinking is; if we are able to generate support to ease the administrative burden off of community free medical clinics, support generated locally can be utilized toward direct patient service delivery at the free clinic site, which is and should remain our member clinic’s number one priority.

We believe there is strength in numbers – in terms of collaboration, education, awareness and impact. According to the National Association of Free Clinics, there are now over 800 free clinics operating in 47 states.

Benefits/Services

Free Clinics of Iowa meets the needs of member clinics, regardless of where they are in their development.

FCI provides assistance to community leaders in establishing new clinics, provides existing clinics with essential resources/templates for day-to-day operations and offers continual opportunities for education and collaboration with other free clinic leaders throughout Iowa.

Helping Free Clinics Get Started:

• “Free Clinic Operation Manual,” written by James L. Blessman, MD & Founder of Free Clinics of Iowa, specifically for the initiation and operation of free clinics in the State of Iowa. The manual contains suggested process for initiating a free clinic, listing of initial resources, supplies and equipment needs, information about Iowa’s Volunteer Health Care Provider Program (VHCPP), Iowa’s Vaccines for Children Program (VFC), policies and procedures for clinic operation, sample forms and volunteer job descriptions
• Assistance in facilitating stakeholder meetings within member clinic communities to establish support and awareness of free clinic initiation
• Assistance and templates for entering into Lease arrangements with the hosting site
• Assistance in establishing a member clinic Advisory Board/Council, if appropriate
• Assistance to establish member clinic bank accounts (If clinic chooses to join under the Free Clinics of Iowa 501c3 umbrella)
  

Operational Support:

• Standard FCI organizational forms, policies and procedures for day-to-day operation
• Standard FCI volunteer applications, forms & links to optimize volunteer recruitment process
• Provide volunteer background checks for criminal, child abuse and adult dependent abuse records
• Maintain a master database of all member clinic volunteers and routinely verify all volunteers have an active, unrestricted license to practice in Iowa AND current malpractice coverage through the VHCPP or another means
• Under the IRS, 501c3, tax-exempt status of the organization, all donations and contributions are tax-deductible to the donor
• Standard FCI organizational thank you cards/receipts, expense reports & deposit reports, specifically designed to optimize year-end tax filing process
• Standard FCI script pads
• Provide general accounting and tax filing services (If clinic chooses to join under the Free Clinics of Iowa 501c3 umbrella)
• Provide insurance coverage for property, general liability, professional liability and medical malpractice, where the State’s VHCPP does not provide coverage
• Maintain physical space for medical records older than 5 years
• Assistance in understanding and utilizing the VHCPP, VFC or any other State program related to the operation of free clinics or services provided by free clinics
• Provide a technology workstation to every clinic member including; laptop, laptop case, all-in-one printer/copy/scan/fax machine, label printer, shredder, surge protector, software, 1st year anti-virus protection and training to utilize such workstation
• Provide marketing materials such as; custom flash/power point presentation, signage, flyers, brochures, banners, letterhead, envelopes, blank thank you cards, etc.
  

Collaborative Opportunities:

• Facilitate continuing education opportunities for volunteer clinic leadership (ie: Volunteer Recruitment, Retention and Recognition)
• Facilitate Clinic Managers meetings approximately two times per year, focused on improving the day-to-day operations of member clinics and provide travel reimbursement for members outside Greater Des Moines area
• Facilitate collaborative and networking opportunities among member clinics
• Fundraising initiatives facilitated by FCI Central Office for support of member clinics
• Acquisition and Distribution of donated equipment, supplies and pharmas to member clinics
• Through buying in bulk, pursuit of discounted pricing on equipment, supplies and pharmas
• Advocacy on behalf of member free clinics to the media, legislative, business and civic leadership
• Continuous free clinic operation updates and communication to member clinics provided through FCI Central Office membership and/or participation in the National Association of Free Clinics, Free Clinics of the Great Lakes Region, Volunteers in Health Care and various publications
• Monthly FCI member newsletter distribution and development of FCI Annual Report for utilization by all members

Eligibility: Member Clinics must comply with the State of Iowa’s definition of a Free Clinic

“Free Clinic” means a facility, other than a hospital or health care provider’s office which is exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and which has as its sole purpose the provision of health care services without charge to individuals who are otherwise unable to pay for the services. (Source: IA Code: 135.24)

Member Responsibilities:

IF member clinic chooses to join under the umbrella of the FCI 501c3 status: Track and submit expense and deposit records for general accounting and tax filing services.
     Track and submit volunteer reports for data collection, insurance purposes and verification of active, unrestricted licensure in the State & of Iowa