Open house planned March 26 at CARE CLinic

The numbers aren't huge, but officials of the CARE Clinic do not doubt that in its first weeks of operation, the free clinic is accomplishing its goals.

"We are seeing about eight patients weekly," said Neela Mollgaard, administrative director.

"Though the numbers might not be that high, when you look at the stories of these patients, there is huge value to the care we are providing them. We know we are already making a difference in these individual lives."

Clinic officials are inviting the community to come see the new clinic, to learn about what it does and who it serves, at an open house from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. March 26. A short program and ribbon cutting will take place at 5 p.m., and people can take self-guided tours of the facilities. Volunteers will be on hand to answer questions.

The CARE — Community, Access, Resources, Education — clinic opened in January in the former St. John's Hospital emergency room, 1407 W. Fourth St. It serves low-income Goodhue County residents who have no health insurance. Hours are 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays.

The first two months have been devoted to "perfecting the internal process," Mollgaard said. Now the organizers are starting to expand their marketing efforts and reach out to more potential clients from throughout Goodhue County.

"We expect the numbers will increase" as awareness grows, she said. The clinic can handle about 20 people a night.

"It's been going really well," Mollgaard added, with about 20 volunteers assisting each week and a corps of close to 150 people trained to serve.

"We have seen a huge need," including people with acute and chronic health issues — "patients who have been sick for a long time, and have nowhere else to go."

Organizers had anticipated that many of their patients would be employed but not insured. That's proving to be true, she said. "At least 85 percent" of their uninsured patients have one or more jobs but fall short of the hours required for coverage.

"We've also linked patients to a l ot of local resources," Mollgaard said. Intake volunteers have matched patients up with food shelves, the WIC program, dental health and other services.

For more information, call (651) 388-1022 or go online to www.careclincrw.com.

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