Care Chronicles: Meet Mary

Mary found herself without access to private health insurance in 2017 and spent two weeks in the emergency room with an unexplained acute condition. Doctors eventually referred her to a cardiologist to assist with the diagnosis. A year and a half passed, and Mary still couldn't get an appointment with the doctor. Unable to be seen by the doctor, she ended up back in the ER with pulmonary emboli, and both of her lungs had to be drained.

With the help of the Clinic’s hospital referral system, she became a registered patient and could be seen by a qualified doctor within days of discharge. She was able to receive the follow-up care she so desperately needed. Since becoming a patient at the Clinic, Mary has been cared for by our volunteer specialists, received x-rays from Dunedin Imaging, and can obtain monthly medications to help regulate her chronic conditions.

“Health care should be a right, not a privilege,” Mary said. “It is so wonderful that [the CFC] is here.” Mary is a thriving example of how the Clearwater Free Clinic can help the underserved in our community make the most of their health and life.