EDITORIAL: Fourth Annual Walk With the Docs

The fourth annual Walk With The Docs raised $7,300 for the Free Medical Clinic of Darlington County.

That brings the total to $28,100 the event has raised for the clinic over the last four years.

A lot of the credit for that success goes to a lot of caring people, including the more than 30 volunteer physicians and other health care professionals who use their skills to provide health care for those in need in Darlington County and to the corps of more than 200 volunteers who provide support in a variety of ways; to executive director Kathy Baxley and her staff; to the sponsors of the event; and especially to those 105 people who walked in the event.

“We were thrilled with the response and the results,“ said Baxley.

The weather was hot, but that didn’t dull the enthusiasm of the walkers.

With the current state of the economy, the funds are much needed.

Last year, the clinic saw about 2,600 physician/patient encounters at both its Hartsville and Darlington sites, with 227 new patients coming into one or the other offices.

Many of those are currently unemployed, having lost their jobs - and their health care insurance - to the current recession.

The mission of the clinic, which is an interdenominational Christian ministry, is to provide health care to those who have no insurance and who are not eligible for Medicaid or who have no financial resources to obtain health care.

The clinic is helping to meet a genuine need in Darlington County.

The volunteers who serve, those who donate time, funding, supplies and other items, all play a critical role in that.

Thanks to them and thanks to everyone who helped make Walk With The Docs 2009 a success.