The Charlottesville Free Clinic provides health care, dental care, and comprehensive pharmacy medications to those without access to these services. Since 1992, this clinic has been serving the local Charlottesville community, as well as those in surrounding counties. The clinic often sees patients who have chronic health conditions in need of timely care, and has the ability to offer referrals to neighboring clinics that partner with them. Without the health care professionals who volunteer over 14,000 hours of their time every year, the Charlottesville Free Clinic would not be able to run as efficiently. Over 2,600 patients are treated at the clinic. Through generous donations and dedicated volunteers, the Charlottesville Free Clinic can be a health care option for those who need it.
For many years, the Charlottesville Free Clinic has partnered with Madison House to bring volunteers to the clinic to perform various roles. The clinic uses many volunteer doctors from the community, and Madison House volunteers have been known to assist them through medical internships. These students are able to receive hands-on training for a multitude of services, as well as support doctors’ work with patients. Additionally, students are able to receive certification for different medical training through the course of the internship. Current interns recently began learning a dental technique called the ‘four-hand technique’, where two people are able to work on one patient’s mouth together. As the Covid pandemic changed the structure of many businesses, the Charlottesville Free Clinic is one of the many organizations to begin offering new roles and opportunities for volunteers. The clinic is interested in new ideas volunteers may have for the clinic, such as the introduction of therapy animals. (Please note the clinic is not actively seeking therapy animals at this time.) They also host Clinica Latina every Tuesday, where each member in the clinic is proficient in Spanish. The Charlottesville Free Clinic is excited for any skill Madison House volunteers may bring, whether it is an additional set of hands, a language proficiency, or questions about other positions that can be created.
Click here to support Charlottesville Free Clinic and here to donate to Madison House in support of volunteers working at the clinic and at our other community partners.