January 19, 2011
arip ^ortlanò
(Observer
Page 19
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Free Medical for Hard Times
pand hours to twice a week
this coming year, keeping three
paid staff and 70 medical health
volunteers, including doctors
and nurses on the team.
The only qualification for the
center’s services is that unin
sured patients live in one of the
following local zip codes:
97211,97212,97217,97227, or
97203.
Visiting patients are able to
receive blood pressure screen
ing, adult immunizations, acute
care for minor illnesses and
injuries, prescription medica
tion, patient education, on-go
ing care for diabetes, social
services information and re
ferrals, some specialty consul
tation, and off-site laboratory
services. Not provided are
medical services such as STD
testing and gynecologic care.
Though there are many Or
egon programs working hard
to provide uninsured people
with low-cost, attainable health
insurance, the North by North
east Community Health Cen
ter will continue to do their part
in making sure folks are not
left to fend for themselves.
“People don’t have to give
up on their health. We are there
to help, and if you have a health
issue or know a family mem
ber with one, we encourage
you to get in touch with us,”
Dr. Ginsberg says.
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GRAND OPENING
January 17th-22nd
photo by M ark
W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Dr. Jill Ginsberg, a local physician (left) and Sharetta Butcher, an office and volunteer coordinator,
welcome patients to their North by Northeast Community Health Center, a free localhealth clinic for
uninsured patients in need.
report.
fills up until the volunteer doc
As of now, the free walk-in tors arrive at 6 p.m. and treat
recorded a 25 percent increase clinic opens every Thursday patients until 9 p.m.
in patients from last year and evening, when volunteer medi
Due to a recent increase in
just had their busiest month cal staff begins checking in demand for free medical ser
yet.
patients at 4:30 p.m. The clinic vices, the clinic plans to ex
“People are scared to be
without coverage and of run
ning out o f m ed icatio n s,
Ginsberg said, explaining how
most of the patients the clinic
sees need ongoing care and
medical monitoring, but cannot
afford it.
A 2009 report by the Census
Bureau Official shows a spike
in the number of Americans
without health insurance from
4.3 million - to a record 50.7
million. Oregonians alone,
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