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Doctors needed

Free clinic seeks volunteer physicians

By Richard Gould | Hickory Daily Record

Published: December 9, 2009

HICKORY - Supply versus demand — that's the equation the Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry is trying to balance.

The clinic's biggest need right now? More doctors, nurses and physicians' assistants to volunteer their time.

"The area that we need all the time are general practitioners," said CCM Executive Director Roger Baker. "The more volunteer physicians and medical practitioners we have, the more clients we can see."

With roughly 33,000 uninsured people living in Catawba County and just one free clinic, CCM is struggling to meet the medical needs of its clients. They do it with a staff of 180 volunteers and 23 paid staff.

CCM's clinic provided health care for more than 10,000 people last year and is on pace to exceed that number this year, he said.

"Both hospitals (Frye Regional Medical Center and Catawba Valley Medical Center) recognize that we've kept about 7,000 people out of their emergency rooms this year — that's millions of dollars," Baker said.

One man working to recruit more volunteer physicians at CCM is Dr. Richard A. Dickey. A retired endocrinologist, Dickey has been working to getting malpractice insurance for the clinic under the Federal Tort Claims Act for the last two years.

The law benefits retired doctors who choose to volunteer their time but don't want the additional burden of maintaining their own malpractice insurance, which can cost thousands of dollars a year. It also acts as a type of supplemental insurance for doctors who are still in active practice.

So far, Dickey has gotten 12 doctors covered under the act and is distributing letters to about 200 more doctors in the area to let them know about the program.

He'd like to quadruple the number of physicians, physicians' assistants, and dentists volunteering at the clinic to meet the community's needs.

"The clinic meets a very critical need in the community," he said. "The patients, they need our help."

CCM needs more doctors and nurses, but there's plenty of room for other types of volunteers, Baker said.

Last year, CCM's pharmacy filled more than 33,000 prescriptions valued at more than $3 million.

Charles Trivette filled many of those prescriptions. He's been volunteering at CCM for more than 15 years. He comes in for two four-hour shifts per week along with his two friends. The three of them laugh and talk while donating their time to the community.

Rhonda Taylor has been volunteering as a patient advocate for about three weeks. She works about 20 hours per week doing invoices and helping clients get approved for free medications.

"It's a great place to come volunteer because you help out so many people in the community," she said.