AmeriCares Free Clinics of Norwalk to Celebrate its 10th Anniversary

Norwalk, CT, December 2 2004 – The AmeriCares Free Clinic of Norwalk will celebrate its 10th anniversary on Monday, December 6, marking 10 years of providing quality health care to Norwalk’s working poor.

Since it opened in 1994, the AmeriCares Free Clinic of Norwalk has provided health care services valued at nearly $5 million to more than 6,000 community residents. The clinic now boasts approximately 2,000 patient visits each year, and this year alone, treated more than 480 new patients.

In recognition of this milestone, the clinic is hosting an anniversary celebration for staff, volunteers and donors at Norwalk City Hall on Monday, December 6 at 5:30 p.m. Norwalk Mayor Alex Knopp will read a proclamation honoring the clinic for its decade of community service. Also attending will be State Senator Bob Duff of Norwalk, Representative John Heatherington of New Canaan and State Senator George “Doc” Gunther of Stratford.

The clinic offers general adult and pediatric medical services as well as specialty clinics for patients with multiple chronic medical conditions. These services are made possible by the generous work of more than 150 volunteer doctors, nurses, non-medical volunteers and others, including specialists who see patients in their private offices at no charge.

In addition to the contributions of individuals, the clinic receives significant support from other organizations within Norwalk. The NEON/South Norwalk Community Center provides the clinic with rent-free space. Norwalk Hospital and Norwalk Radiology Associates offer radiology and diagnostic testing to patients at no charge, and Quest Diagnostics offers a full range of laboratory tests. Through a telemedicine partnership with Norwalk Hospital and the Hinds Lung Center, patients have access to diabetes and nutritional education and specialty consultations.

These partnerships allow the clinic to provide services to patients who cannot afford needed medical care because they lack health insurance. Delaying or not receiving treatment can lead to more serious illnesses and even hospitalization for conditions that could have been avoided had the patient received preventative care.

The idea for the Norwalk Free Clinic came from AmeriCares founder Bob Macauley, who, after nearly a decade of providing medical assistance to people overseas, decided it was also time to help people at home. The Norwalk Free Clinic opened its doors in November, 1994. The success of the clinic, combined with the growing number of uninsured residents in Fairfield Country, led AmeriCares to establish a second free clinic in Danbury in 1997, and another in Bridgeport last year.

Click here for more information about the services offered by AmeriCares Free Clinics, or call 1-800-486-HELP.