Patients flood free health clinics

Christina Stolarz / The Detroit News

MOUNT CLEMENS -- Christopher Thomas never had a reason to worry about health insurance: the plastics company where he worked as a janitor provided good benefits and a comfortable salary.

That security ended about five years ago when the company folded, forcing Thomas, 34, to practice healthy habits to stave off a doctor's visit. But a knee injury sent the Chesterfield Township man in for X-rays -- and a $3,000 bill he's still paying off.

"I can't afford to go to the hospital or see my doctor," said Thomas, who now makes $1,700 a month as a caregiver for his uncle, but remains uninsured.

"You get so far in debt. I had to move back home."

So Thomas, and others without insurance or family doctors, are flooding Metro Detroit's free medical clinics for relief.

The clinics -- some of which are funded by partner hospitals, others through private donors or grants -- are seeing a rise in demand due to the economy, said James McCurtis, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Community Health. And they are filling a crucial need as more Michigan residents lose their jobs and the health insurance that goes with them, he said.

"(Free clinics) are definitely essential now," McCurtis said. "People are strapped for money. There has to be a safety net."

Patients at free clinics can wait weeks for an appointment or several hours as a walk-in. One free clinic in Mount Clemens has a six-week wait for patients, but vows to see people on a walk-in basis if they have urgent problems, said Sister Nadine Sheehan, manager of the Neighbors Caring for Neighbors clinic, which is funded by Henry Ford Macomb Hospitals.

The clinic has had 1,000 more visits this year than last and cares for 40 to 50 new patients a month because of lost jobs and health insurance. The clinic only takes Macomb County residents. "Many of our patients are working but they're working in low-paying jobs that don't have insurance," Sheehan said. "It's people who've not been in this situation before. They cannot believe they have to go to a free clinic.

"We see people in tears because ... they say, 'we never thought we'd have to do this.' "

Sheehan said those without insurance who are generally healthy will avoid doctors' visits because of the high costs. However, those with high blood pressure, diabetes or lung problems -- conditions that require frequent monitoring -- tend to rely on free clinics the most.

Thomas was relieved when he first learned of Neighbors Caring for Neighbors four years ago. The clinic's nurse practitioners have treated him for a cold, sinus infection and skin lesion, as well as diagnosed him with diabetes.

"It's a real blessing if something seriously goes wrong," he said. "These places help out a lot. I'd probably be suffering because of fear to go to the hospital. This takes a lot of the relief off."

Teresa Black, 53, didn't know where to turn to manage her high blood pressure after a fall placed her on workers compensation and forced her out of a long-time job as a food server. The Hazel Park resident was grateful to find the Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic in Pontiac, a free clinic funded through donations, fundraisers and grants.

"Insurance is too expensive ... $300 to $400 a month for health insurance," said Black, who has frequented the clinic once a month since she lost her job last year.

"Who has that? That's a house payment."

The Burnstein clinic offers a variety of services to Oakland County residents living at poverty level. The clinic's volunteer physicians see about 420 patients a month, a figure Executive Director Brian Harris said has at least doubled since last year.

"It's purely and simply the economy right now," he said. "People are really making a decision between health care and food on the table."

Organizers of the Mercy Place Clinic in Pontiac, expecting a rise in patients, are trying to shorten the two-week wait for patients. Each of the clinic's 1,300 patients are required to go through Mercy Support for financial verification and counseling, said Joy Calloway, director of community programs for St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, which funds the clinic.

"I definitely think we're going to get an increase in people coming to Mercy Place," she said. "It is a scary position to go from having the coverage to not."

Kevin Paul doesn't want to think about how badly his mouth would hurt if there wasn't a free clinic he could use. The 43-year-old from Pontiac has been going to the Gary Burnstein clinic for a year to get fillings and other dental work.

"Insurance is too high to afford and this is the only place I could get this taken care of," said Paul, who works part-time as a mentor for Grace Centers of Hope.

You can reach Christina Stolarz at (586) 468-0343 or cstolarz@detnews.com.