Arlington Free Clinic

Peter’s Take: Free Clinic Still Vital to our Safety Net

By Peter Rousselot

Peter’s Take is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

Peter RousselotAs I wrote in a column a few months ago, it’s important every so often to take a step back and recognize organizations that provide vital services in our community. In that earlier column, I profiled AFAC—the Arlington Food Assistance Center.

Today, I’d like to highlight the Arlington Free Clinic.

AFC’s mission is to provide free, high-quality medical care to low-income, uninsured Arlington County adults. AFC relies on private donations and volunteer services. In the wake of passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the natural question arises: is there a continuing need for AFC and the services it provides?

The answer definitely is: yes.

AFC has spent a considerable amount of time evaluating the potential impacts of the ACA on AFC’s work. AFC has reached these important conclusions:

  • many of AFC’s current patients now will be able to get health insurance due to passage of the ACA,
  • but a significant number of AFC-qualified Arlington adults will remain uninsured, and
  • the number of AFC-qualified Arlington adults will still exceed AFC’s resources to provide care for them.

In light of these conclusions, AFC has decided to:

  • provide existing AFC patients information about the ACA, and connect them with assistance to help those eligible to get insurance,
  • transition some patients from AFC to new health care providers, and
  • provide care to more uninsured, low-income Arlingtonians whom AFC previously had not been able to serve.

More details about the impact of the ACA on AFC are here.

Those Arlington residents whom AFC will continue to serve will have access to a full range of medical services provided on-site within AFC’s primary care setting. Other services, including diagnostic procedures, are provided by AFC’s community partners. The care available through AFC includes:

  • Primary care
  • Specialty medical care in anesthesiology, cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, ENT, gastroenterology, hematology, nephrology, oncology, ophthalmology, optometry, orthopedics, pathology, podiatry, psychiatry,  pulmonology, radiology, rheumatology, surgery and urology
  • Women’s health including annual screening for cervical cancer and access to free mammography for women aged 40 and above
  • Mental health
  • Physical therapy
  • Pharmacy services
  • Diagnostic testing
  • Patient education programs in breast health, diabetes care, nutrition, asthma care, osteoporosis, and oral health
  • Patient support groups

There are a variety of ways in which you can learn more information about AFC.

Peter Rousselot is a former member of the Central Committee of the Democratic Party of Virginia and former chair of the Arlington County Democratic Committee.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Aerial photo of Arlington, seen on approach to DCA (Flickr photo by Ddimick)

Free Clinic Still Needed Post-Obamacare — The Affordable Care Act may help reduce the number of people without health insurance, but it won’t alter the core mission of the Arlington Free Clinic. The clinic will continue to serve the thousands who are expected to remain without health insurance in Arlington even after the health care law is implemented. [Sun Gazette]

Water & Wall to Open Saturday — Water & Wall, a new restaurant in Virginia Square, is set to open on Saturday. The restaurant, from Tim Ma of Maple Ave Restaurant in Vienna, will serve “eclectic American” cuisine. [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Lava Barre Moving to Rosslyn — Fitness studio Lava Barre is moving from Clarendon to Rosslyn starting early next year. [Facebook]

Flickr photo by Ddimick

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Krupicka Uses Marine in Mailer — State Senate candidate Rob Krupicka has gotten the attention of a conservative web site for printing an endorsement from a Marine sergeant, along with a photo of him in uniform, on a campaign mailer. If the Marine is on active duty, such an endorsement would violate military guidelines. The Sun Gazette’s Scott McCaffrey also points out that Krupicka’s mailer also makes reference to supporting “soldiers and their families” — which would refer to members of the Army but not the Marine Corps. Krupicka, an Alexandria city councilman, is facing off against Arlington School Board Chair Libby Garvey and Del. Adam Ebbin in the Democratic primary. [Sun Gazette]

Medical Care By Lottery — Every month, the Arlington Free Clinic holds a lottery to see who will receive medical care. With demand for care exceeding supply, this month only 25 people were selected out of a pool of 140. [WAMU]

Ballston Farmers Market Starts This Week — The Ballston Farmers Market will hold its season grand opening this Thursday. The market is free and held every Thursday (until October) from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. in Wellburn Square, between N. Stuart and N. 9th Streets.

Arlington Free Clinic Receives Major Gift

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington Free Clinic (2921 11th Street South) has received a major charitable gift.

The McLean-based Campbell Hoffman Foundation has given the Free Clinic $677,500 for “continued integration of mental health services within primary care.” AFC says it will also use the funds for “primary and specialty care… and pharmacy services.”

“The funding will support and sustain our essential medical services in Arlington County,” said David Lee, MD, chair of AFC’s board. “We are truly grateful for the Foundation’s trust in our capacity to serve the community and for the opportunity to carry forward its important legacy of primary care.”