Free medical clinic expands office hours in Hartsville

The Hartsville office of the Free Medical Clinic of Darlington County is expanding its operating hours to full time as of Oct. 1, the clinic’s executive director said.

The new hours will put the Hartsville site on the same schedule as the Darlington office, said Kathy Baxley.

As of Oct. 1, hours for the Hartsville site are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Wednesday (closed for lunch from 12:30 to 2 p.m.) and 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, with clinic nights every Tuesday and Thursday. On Fridays, the clinic is open for one hour from 3 to 4 p.m. for patients to pick up prescription medications, Baxley said.

The clinic’s pharmacy dispenses medications at both sites, she said.

The clinic is able to open the Hartsville office for the additional hours because of additional medical professionals who are volunteering their time to serve patients at the clinic, Baxley said.

The Hartsville office now has 11 primary care providers and three on-site specialists who volunteer their time and services for the clinic, Baxley said. “That’s pushed us
up to the point where we are able to open on Wednesdays,” Baxley said.

In total, 33 volunteer physicians and family nurse practitioners are providing care to patients at both clinic sites.

Volunteers also provide support for the clinic staff and primary care providers. In 2007, 284 volunteers worked on site at the two clinic offices to assist in providing services.

The Free Medical Clinic of Darlington County is an interdenominational Christian ministry providing free medical care, medications and pastoral support to Darlington County residents who are ineligible for Medicaid, who have a household income of 200 percent of the poverty level and/or have no medical insurance.

“We’re a faith-based initiative, so we rely on area churches to provide volunteers and financial assistance,” Baxley said.

Since opening on Aug. 29, 2006, the Hartsville office of the clinic has accepted 302 patients, Baxley said. “I thought it would have been more than that, but the eligibility screening for financial need keeps the number of patients growing slowly,” she said.

“Of course, the increase in hours means an increase in operating costs, but we need to see it as following Jesus’ command to help those who cannot help themselves,” Baxley said.

The Free Medical Clinic of Darlington County opened its doors in Darlington on Aug. 29, 2000. Clinic organizers soon saw the need for another facility in the Hartsville area to serve the growing need for health care, and in 2006 were able to secure a site.

During the 2007 calendar year, 2,326 patient visits were donated by clinic medical providers in Darlington County, and 9,204 prescriptions were provided to patients at an average wholesale price of $1.6 million.

The Hartsville clinic office is located at 500 W. Carolina Ave. The main office in Darlington is located at 203 Grove Street. The telephone numbers are 332-0422 in Hartsville and 398-0060 in Darlington.