Newsletter & Annual Report Fall 2018

Message from Our Executive Director

Bradley Free Clinic is held in the highest regard by the communities we serve and that continues as we approach our 45th anniversary. We earned respect because of the quality of care our dedicated and compassionate volunteers and staff provide, along with a deep caring for our patients’ overall well- being. It’s about caring for their whole health and doing everything we can to assist with many of the obstacles they face in their daily lives. With the community’s support, we always try to find a way to help and that makes the Clinic quite unique. For example, donors Bill Doughty and Kathy

Guy provide the Reilly Fund, a resource our patients can access when unexpected expenses arise. The Clinic always held a special place in Bill and Kathy’s hearts and they understand the need to care for the whole patient. Sadly, we lost Bill this past year and miss him dearly. The Reilly Fund was established to help patients in immediate need of assistance including help with food, gas, or even a utility bill.

Recently, one of our patients lost his job, needed food for his family, and was in a deep depression. He was transported to the ER in a suicidal state, where he was cared for, released, and prescribed medication for his depression. He is now being treated at the Clinic and is living a more productive life. When he came to us that first day and had no money for food to feed himself or his wife, we provided him with Kroger gift cards. He started to cry and said that he never expected such a warm and caring gesture at a time when he needed it most. This unique, whole-patient style of health care isn’t the result of a business-first approach. While it’s important to keep a roof over our heads, this care for our patients comes from the heart and soul of the Clinic. The heart and soul of the Clinic is in the mission and the mission is in the heart of every volunteer and staff person that has been associated with the Clinic for the last 44 years. Thank you for always putting our patients first! Kathy Guy (left) and Bill Doughty (right) with their beloved dog, Reilly.

Janine Underwood | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Construction/Building Improvements

Bradley Free Clinic is undergoing some significant physical improvements! High patient volume and traffic over the past 28 years have taken a toll, and our building is now at a critical level of disrepair, with many large renovations needed at the same time. Through the building campaign, donors, and grants from several private foundations, we have the funds in place to modernize our clinic and make all necessary repairs! Over the next several months, BFC will receive a new roof, four new HVAC units, a new patient check-in window, updated security measures to ensure staff safety and patient privacy, ADA- compliant accessible doorways and a ramp, basement repairs, minor room reconfigurations, and new paint and flooring throughout. These renovations will ensure BFC meets clinical care quality standards and patient safety. During the building renovations, BFC is modernizing our health records system by replacing the current paper records system with a comprehensive Electronic Health Record. This is a necessary task that will increase efficiency and promote patient care continuity for Bradley Free Clinic’s 1,900+ patients. As part of this process, it was necessary to upgrade information technology capabilities and add new computers for staff and volunteers. This year and next, Bradley Free Clinic is striving to make these much needed renovations to our building and IT infrastructure to further our mission and provide the highest-quality free healthcare services in a state-of-the-art environment. Keeping our patients in mind, we believe this will ensure the delivery of the dignified healthcare services these individuals would otherwise go without. Projected expenses for these repairs total $284,250.

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