In Rochester, the doctor will see you now
Without four injections of insulin per day, 45-year-old diabetic Mike Elzy of Rochester, Minn. could die in a matter of days. He is unemployed, broke and without health insurance.
“Diabetes is a costly disease,” said Elzy, who also needs medications for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and acid reflux disease.
Elzy is enduring a rough patch in his life. Thankfully, he can get his insulin and medications for just $5 per prescription at the Rochester Salvation Army’s Good Samaritan Health Clinic.
“I’m thankful for this place,” said Elzy, who is living with and caring for his sick mother until he can find work. “Without this clinic, it would be awfully hard for me to get my medications. Without them, I die. That’s the truth.”
Stories like Elzy’s are common at the clinic, located on the bottom floor of the Rochester Salvation Army’s 32-unit “Castleview” housing facility (pictured) in downtown Rochester. In addition to filling prescriptions through its onsite pharmacy, the clinic offers these and other medical services:
- Eye clinic
- Mental health
- Pediatrics
- Diabetes clinic
- Smoking cessation
- General medical
The clinic is made possible by world-renowned Mayo Clinic. Mayo funds the pharmacy and provides most of the volunteer doctors, nurses and support staff. Last year at Good Samaritan, nearly 200 medical volunteers provided healthcare to 700 people during 1,320 visits, and filled 3,700 prescriptions.
One of the volunteers is Chander Singh (pictured), a retired Mayo Clinic nurse. She’s been helping out two nights per week for over a year. She checks patients’ vital signs, offers referrals, and provides education about diabetes, exercise, healthy eating, and other common wellness topics.
“Many people are not aware of these things,” said Singh, who began volunteering at the clinic the same week she retired. “It’s a pleasure to see the patients here and listen to their stories. Education is so critical.”
Another important service: bloodwork. Patients who need it are referred to Mayo Clinic, where they can receive any of about 20 tests – from Hepatitis to Hemoglobin – free of charge.
The clinic is open weeknights by appointment. The waiting room is forever packed with people in need of medical attention for a range of ailments: strep throat, sprained ankle, pneumonia, urinary tract issues … the list is endless. Most of these patients are either underinsured or without insurance.
“We see a lot of people who are on their company’s insurance but cannot afford the deductible,” said Tracy Moore (pictured at top), a registered nurse and Good Samaritan Medical Clinic coordinator. “We are a safety net for so many people. Without this clinic, there is virtually no other place they can go.”
New mission
Ever since the Affordable Care Act went into effect in January 2014, Good Samaritan has been on a new mission: sign people up for health insurance.
“Everybody who comes in for a medical appointment must fill out an application to see if they qualify for insurance,” said Jessica Schultz (pictured), a Good Samaritan pharmacy tech and certified navigator of MNsure, the state’s insurance marketplace. “Hopefully when people come for a visit, they can have their needs met other than seeing a doctor.”
The day Schultz was interviewed for this story, she was helping Elzy – the man with diabetes – apply for UCare, a low-cost insurance provider.
“Our goal is to get everybody on insurance,” Schultz continued. “We don’t want this clinic to be the only place people rely on for their medical care.”
The clinic has made another adjustment in light of the Affordable Care Act: broadening its service area. After the law took effect, patient numbers began to decline. The clinic responded last summer by expanding its service area to include patients who live in all six counties adjacent to Olmsted County. Now, patient numbers are back near their historical averages.
“We have this nice facility and we didn’t want it to go to waste,” said Good Samaritan Medical Director Dr. Thomas McLeod (pictured), who has been volunteering at the clinic for 20 years.
McLeod is a primary care physician at Mayo Clinic’s Division of Primary Care and Internal Medicine. He is proud to volunteer at Good Samaritan and applauds the services it provides.
“These are basic healthcare needs,” he said. “I like availing myself to people who fall into that hole of not having access to care or not being able to afford it. We take satisfaction helping people navigate those troubled waters.”
The Rochester Salvation Army also operates the Good Samaritan Dental Clinic, where volunteer dental professionals provide free or affordable emergency dental care, x-rays and extractions.
Please join The Salvation Army by volunteering or making a donation to support your local community.