Tony Howard, program host, invited Deb Miller, chief operating officer for the Miami County Health Partners, as our guest speaker at the July 11 West Milton Rotary Club meeting. Deb told the Rotarians the Health Partners Free Clinic was created in the late 1990s to provide medical care for the uninsured and under-insured residents of Miami County, Ohio. Physicians and nurse practitioners volunteer their time. There is no cost to their patients. During the first eight years of service they worked from space provided by the Miami County Health District. They were able to provide a total of four hours of free medical care per week. Health Partners Board of Directors responded to the huge and growing need for our services by purchasing land and constructing a new building – the Paul G. Duke Health Center, located at 1300 N. County Rd. 25-A, Troy, Ohio.
Since moving into the new facility they now offer 20-24 hours per week of free medical care per week. They have tripled the number of patients for whom they provide care. They are also able to provide care for patients with chronic health problems such as diabetes, hypertension and chronic lung disease. Check their website for various volunteer opportunities and hours for the free clinic: www.healthpartnersclinic.org.
####
