The CommonHealth of Kentucky
A 13-part KET production aimed at improving the health of all Kentuckians by sharing health and wellness projects from across the state that are succeeding in making their communities healthier.
Be Well Kentucky
a project of KET’s Be Well Kentucky initiative
The CommonHealth of Kentucky is a 2005 KET production. Produced in partnership with the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Having a job doesn’t guarantee that you’ll have health insurance—or be able to afford it on your own. The Angels Community Clinic in Murray fills a critical gap by providing free basic medical and dental care to the working, uninsured poor of Calloway County.
The clinic sees walk-in patients once a week, on Tuesday evenings. Those who meet the financial eligibility requirements receive examinations, basic diagnostic tests, prescription medications, and dental treatment and hygiene services at no cost. Patients who need more extensive follow-up services or advanced diagnostic tests may be referred to a network of local specialists who provide their services at reduced or no cost.
Given the level of community involvement in the Angels clinic, it might be more accurate to say that it’s really the people of Calloway County who are collectively providing these services to their neighbors. Doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, and most of the staff members volunteer their time. The Murray-Calloway County Hospital supplies free X-rays and other lab tests. Private donations provide about half the clinic’s funding, and yet more volunteers run Angel’s Attic, a thrift store that sells donated clothing, furniture, and other goods to supply the other half of the clinic budget. On Tuesdays, church groups, previous patients, and other volunteers even cook dinner for the staff.
The Angels Community Clinic opened to patients on February 8, 2000. The Angel’s Attic Thrift Shop opened in July 2002, adding some much-needed financial stability, and dental services were added in February 2003. The clinic now logs more than 2,000 patient visits a year.
More than three-fourths of the patients have some chronic condition, such as diabetes. Lack of insurance often causes people to neglect such conditions until serious complications result, resulting in emergency room visits, extended hospital stays, or even death. So by offering services to help people manage such diseases, free clinics can help avoid future catastrophic health care costs.