Patient Appointment Phone Lines Will Close This Friday Afternoon for Massive Free Clinic in New Orleans
Uninsured People Are Urged to Call Now
NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Organizers of the large, one-day free medical clinic to be held Monday in New Orleans are urging uninsured Gulf Coast residents to register as soon as possible for appointments. No appointments will be scheduled after phone lines close Friday at 5:00 p.m. CDT.
The National Association of Free Clinics (NAFC) is sponsoring the C.A.R.E. (Communities Are Responding Everyday) Clinic at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on the sixth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Monday, Aug. 29, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The toll-free number to call for an appointment is 1-877-236-7617.
"If uninsured area residents want to be assured they will be seen by medical professionals, they must make appointments by this Friday, Aug. 26, before 5:00 p.m.," NAFC Executive Director Nicole Lamoureux said. "Our ability to handle patients without appointments will be limited. Although we are hoping to be able to see as many patients as possible, there are no guarantees."
Due to the overwhelming demand this year and the extended services – including three free months of mail-order prescriptions – being offered, area residents should call to schedule appointments today. Additionally, patients' wait time is significantly decreased if they have appointments.
Each patient will see a medical practitioner for an initial examination. Based on that examination, the patient may receive one or more of the following services: electrocardiogram (EKG), cholesterol blood test, glucose test for diabetes, muscular-skeletal exam, urinalysis, hemoglobin test, pregnancy test and strep test. The patient also may receive additional services including three months of free prescriptions through a mail-order pharmacy, HIV testing, ultrasounds for pregnant women, mental health counseling and kidney disease testing. All patients will receive information on local safety-net providers, such as free clinics, and other resources in the area.
This is the third annual C.A.R.E. Clinic in New Orleans and the 11th in a series of large C.A.R.E. Clinics held around the country. More than 2,000 patients received medical care at the two previous New Orleans clinics in 2009 and 2010. Since September 2009, more than 13,000 uninsured patients have received medical care at the NAFC's C.A.R.E. Clinics. In addition to New Orleans, the clinics have been held in: Houston; Little Rock; Kansas City; Hartford; Atlanta; Washington, D.C.; Charlotte; and Tacoma.
More information on the New Orleans C.A.R.E. Clinic for both patients and volunteers can be found at www.freeclinics.us.
About the National Association of Free Clinics:
The National Association of Free Clinics is the only nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization whose mission is solely focused on the issues and needs of more than 1,200 free clinics and the people they serve in the United States.
Founded in 2001 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., the NAFC is an effective advocate for the issues and concerns of free clinics, their volunteer workforce of doctors, dentists, nurses, therapists, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, technicians and other health care professionals, as well as the patients served by free clinics in communities throughout the nation.
SOURCE National Association of Free Clinics
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