Good Samaritan Health Clinic of Pasco (GSHC) just celebrated its 30 year anniversary of operations in Pasco County, Florida. They are one of the 98 members of the Florida Association of Free & Charitable Clinics and serve adults in the community that are medically underserved and uninsured. They had over 3,000 patient visits in 2020 and operate with only 4 full time, 4 part time, and 3 contract staff. They could not do it without the help of their 103 volunteers!
R. D. came to GSHC in October of 2020 diagnosed with Diabetes and an A1C of 14.5. Beth Moore, APRN educated him on healthy nutrition as a way to improve his condition. He took her advice seriously and improved his diet by eliminating sugar and processed foods. He was prescribed medications to manage his Diabetes. By May of 2021 his A1C had dropped down to 6.3. Additionally, R. D. was unable to exercise because of arthritis in the knee. He is seeing the Orthopedics specialist Dr. Jesse Tippett, and will receive a new drug that helps lubricate the knee joint. It should give him the ability to walk and increase his activity level to improve his overall health. All of these services are provided at no cost to patients. By impacting the community’s health in this way, the GSHC is able to significantly decrease the local hospitals’ healthcare costs.
