FernCare Continues Mission of Free Medical Care, Prepares for April 11 Annual Dinner
(Elizabeth Schanz, April 2, 2024)
Ferndale, MI – FernCare Free Clinic is a non-profit that provides no-cost healthcare services for uninsured people between the ages of 19 and 64 years old. The clinic aims to create a safe, welcoming and informative environment that makes healthcare attainable and more approachable for individuals.
FernCare, located in Ferndale, Michigan, is a non-profit and is self-funded organization. It helps people obtain resources like check-ups, generic medications, lab testing and more. For FernCare to function successfully and contribute to this mission, FernCare encourages donations and volunteer involvement.
FernCare will host its 15th annual dinner fundraiser on Thursday, April 11 at the Club Venetian in Madison Heights, Michigan. Contributions raised through the dinner will help the clinic cover the costs of the services the clinic provides.
To cover the cost of providing free resources to patients, the organization needs funds for sponsorship efforts like the dinner and other avenues. Dan Martin, the executive director of FernCare since February 2020, said FernCare receives a little over half of its funding from grants from Blue Cross Blue Sheild, Metro HealthFoundation and more.
“We are continuing to enhance the number of services that we’ve got to help address the health needs of you know what is really the most vulnerable population the community, people without insurance or access to good health care,” Martin said.
Martin said FernCare’s role as a FreeClinic helps to fill a need in the community especially as many people are uninsured. According to the United States Census Bureau, at “any point” during 2022 an estimated “25.9 million or 7.9% of people (in the U.S. population) did not have health insurance.” Additionally, about 4.5% of Michigan residents have no health insurance.
Martin said individuals who are without health insurance often don’t have their medical needs addressed because of cost or fear of the poor quality of care they may receive without coverage.
“It’s not uncommon for people to walk in with seriously uncontrolled diabetes, and starting to manifest symptoms of living with that for a long time. Seriously, uncontrolled high blood pressure and, again, the same kind of thing,” Martin said.
FernCare works to alleviate these fears through a staff of volunteers who drive the clinic’s work. Martin said FernCare has over 70 volunteers who are the organization’s “doctors, pharmacists, phlebotomists, nurses, medical assistants” and treat the clinic’s patients.
“They just don’t know where else to turn and they’ve been treated poorly by the general health care system because of the lack of insurance, and the lack of access,” Martin said. “We put a very high emphasis on welcoming our patients, making sure they’re comfortable, making sure they understand and are part of the healthcare decision make that we can offer them.”
One FernCare Volunteer, FernCare board member and nurse Karen Unholz has been volunteering with the clinic since 2013 and joined the board in 2023. Unholz volunteers at FernCare every month for at least one Saturday. She draws blood during her shift, and typically engages with “five to 12 patients.” She said this position fits her background after working on cancer patients with lab work and drawing blood after 20 years.
“Every time I volunteer makes it worthwhile. You can just see the relief as they (patients) realize that this is a safe place that people are welcoming,” Unholz said. “They had found a medical home they were needing and they were afraid probably didn’t exist out there without insurance.”
Unholz has been involved with free healthcare clinics for many years, even before her journey to FernCare. She was originally from the Detroit area, moved to Indiana for college, finished her nursing degree and lived there for about 20 years. In Indianapolis, she was involved in various free clinics with her family. When she returned to Michigan, FernCare became a place where she could continue to bring her skills as a nurse to make an impact on community members.
“(FernCare Free Clinic is) such a needed resource in the community,” Unholz said. “I honestly find it to be incredibly fulfilling to help patients navigate healthcare. As somebody who works in the healthcare industry, I realize how complex and confusing it must be, it is for me, so I’m sure it can only be 100 times more confusing for folks who don’t have that background or knowledge base.”
Similarly, FernCare brings “full wraparound services” such as a “mammogram mobile” once a month, agreements with other provides for lower-cost X-rays and more. In addition to providing healthcare in the clinic, FernCare aims to be a point that provides additional resources to visitors. FernCare has insurance counseling to help guide individuals to insurance options or Medicaid and other “social safety net services.”
To continue FernCare’s work, Martin and Unholz encourage people to get involved from any location and support the clinic in whatever way they can.
“What does it take for FernCare to be successful? Tons of resources, both monetary, human resources are always welcome,” Unholz said.
Learn more about FernCare at https://ferncare.org/
Buy tickets for the dinner at https://ferncare.org/annual-dinner
