Since 1977, Clearwater Free Clinic (CFC) has been a lifeline for the medically underserved in our community, providing critical healthcare services to those who cannot afford private insurance or qualify for government assistance. Over the years, our mission has evolved—not only to treat illness but to promote long-term health and wellness for our community. Our mission statement ends with “Building healthy communities.”

As we’ve expanded our services, we recognize that the care we provide goes beyond immediate medical needs. We have the opportunity to empower patients to manage their health proactively, preventing future illnesses and improving their overall quality of life. This philosophy inspired the name of our campaign, "Keep Them Well."

The name reflects our shift toward a more comprehensive, preventative approach. While our existing programs help patients get healthy, the “Keep Them Well” initiative focuses on maintaining that health. It represents our commitment to expanding wellness programs that include nutrition education, physical therapy, mental health support, and more. Our goal is to ensure that every patient who comes through our doors does not just recover from illness but also gains the tools and knowledge to live a healthier life.

By expanding with the new Wellness Annex, we will offer programs that equip our patients and their families with the resources they need to sustain long-term health. This expansion will help us move from simply treating illnesses to living up to our mission of building healthy communities, with a focus on wellness and prevention. The "Keep Them Well" campaign underscores our vision of building a healthier future for our community.

According the the Pinellas County 2023 Community Health Needs Assessment: Pinellas County faces a significant healthcare crisis, with 18.7% of adults uninsured, placing it among the worst 25% of counties nationwide for health coverage. For many of these individuals, the cost of healthcare is prohibitively high, forcing them to forego routine check-ups and preventive screenings. This leads to common conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease remaining undiagnosed and untreated until they reach advanced stages.

The repercussions of these untreated conditions extend beyond individual patients and strain our entire healthcare system. Without access to affordable care, many residents turn to emergency rooms when untreated conditions worsen, a costly and inefficient alternative to primary care. Florida has the highest average ER cost in the US at $3,394 per visit. These preventable cases place an undue burden on emergency services and drive up healthcare costs for the entire community.

Clearwater Free Clinic serves as a medical home for uninsured individuals, providing free, continuous, and coordinated care that improves outcomes for patients and reduces healthcare costs. Last year, we provided 12,785 patient visits and delivered over $11.3 million in healthcare services, all on a $2.2 million budget. For every dollar invested in our clinic, over five dollars in value was returned through donated services, medications, and volunteer time.

Our impact extends well beyond these numbers. We work to keep patients out of emergency rooms by addressing health issues before they become critical. In fact, 93% of our patients did not need to return to an emergency department after receiving care at CFC. This not only alleviates the pressure on local emergency services but also ensures that our patients receive timely, appropriate care, avoiding costly hospitalizations.

We provide over five dollars in return on each dollar invested through donated services, medications, and volunteers’ time.

Volunteer Over 13,000 hours were volunteered last year, demonstrating the community’s robust support for our mission.

As we embark on this exciting phase of expansion with the Wellness Annex, we invite each of you to be ambassadors of our mission. Be on the lookout for individuals in our community who may feel called to support our efforts. Whether it's time, talent, or treasure, every contribution is valuable and welcomed. Please take note of anyone you believe might be interested in supporting our mission and share this information with Charlie. Together, we can continue to make a profound difference in the lives of those we serve.