Brock Hughes - 25 Years

Staff &Board

February 16, 2013

Atkins resident returns to free clinic

Tamara Tolliver likens her new job to coming home. The Atkins resident becomes executive director of the Brock Hughes Free Clinic on March I - for the second time.

"My heart was in the clinic when I was here before," noted Tolliver, the clinic's first executive di rector when it opened part-time in 1996. "It's like coming back home. I'm looking forward to it."

The Brock Hughes Free Clinic provides health care to the uninsured, low-income residents of Wythe and Bland counties. It offers prescription medications, basic testing and counseling, referral arrangements with specialty providers which enable patients to receive further care. Tolliver noted much has changed since she became involved with the clinic when it organized in 1995. Open five days a week, housed in a new location, operating with a larger staff and serving more patients (20-25 a day) are among the changes Tolliver listed as having seen since she left the job for personal reasons in June 2005.

Tamara Tolliver is returning to her job as executive director of the Brock Hughes Free Clinic inWytheville onMarch I. She was the clinic's first executive director when it organized inMarch I995.

"I was hired part time because we didn't have money for a full-time position," Tolliver recalled. "We held the clinic at the health department on Wednesday nights once a week."

Around two years later, the free clinic moved to offices at Edgemont Center. It has since relocated to offices at 105 Pine St. in Wytheville.

Tolliver is returning to the Wytheville job after a brief stint as executive director of the Mel Leaman Free Clinic of Smyth County in Marion. She has also served as regional director of physician services for LifePoint.

"The clinic here in Wytheville has a stronger presence in-the community," Tolliver said. "It also has closer ties to the hospital which LifePoint owns. The new health care reforms will change what free clinics looks like and will expand to take on Medicare or whatever they will call it then."

Part of Tolliver's job has not changed. Raising money for the free clinic will be her primary directive.

The clinic is funded through a variety of sources, including membership in the Virginia Association for Free Clinics, a S5 processing per prescription, medical records reimbursement, general contributions and the United Way. It also depends on revenues from fundraising projects.

A major supporter of the clinic's programs is the Wythe-Bland Foundation.

"The board is very excited about Tammy joining our health care team at Brock Hughes Free Clinic,'· said Vicky Hill, chairman of the clinic's board of directors. "Tammy is a visionary and brings years of non-profit experience, especially in the fee clinic field. With the outstanding staff currently at the clinic and the addition of Tammy's leadership, the patients we serve will receive top quality health care."

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