Our Network
Our Beginning
The vision for this ministry began in the heart of a Physician Assistant who eventually left his day job to provide free care in a church based clinic setting. Along the way, we have grown our patient census, volunteer teams, and resources through partnering with local churches, donors, and medical providers. Over the course of our ten year history, we have expanded to two locations, both housed within church buildings. We utilize volunteers from churches and the community to operate 4-5 evening clinics per month. We have grown our volunteer base to include 4 nurse practitioners, 6 nurses, and at least a dozen non-medical volunteers including intake specialists and interpreters.
To provide continuity of care for our patients, we rely on our growing list of specialty care providers. This list includes major hospitals like Mayo Clinic Jacksonville and Ascensions St. Vincents, who provide medically complex patients further care beyond the scope of our primary care practice. We are blessed with local specialist who treat our patients for free or at reduced cost in the specialties of oncology and cardiology.
In the fall of 2023, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor joined our team to lead a mental health pilot program. This program will allow our clinic to provide more comprehensive care to our patients by treating illness of the mind, body, and soul.
Our Future
We continue to be financially supported by the in-kind donations of rent by our host churches, generous contributions from our donors, and appropriated funding from Florida Association of Free and Charitable Clinics.
The vision for our clinic is a two-armed approach to capacity building growth. First, we wish to increase our primary care patient capacity by extending our days and hours of operation. This growth will require additional medical volunteers, support volunteers, staffing. Secondly, we are always seeking to expand our specialty care services by building strong networks of providers in and outside of Putnam County.
Our Need
Putnam County Medical Mission has operated for ten years in Putnam County, FL providing free medical care to the uninsured and impoverished members of our community. We serve patients who reside both inside and outside of Putnam County. Putnam County currently ranks #66 out of Florida’s 67 counties in overall health factors and health outcomes. Furthermore, 21.9% of adults reported they were unable to see a doctor due to cost, which is far above the state average of 16%.