By Miranda Koerner
The San Antonio Express-News
BULVERDE, Texas — Several years ago, Shanel Wilkinson made a vow that she would find a way to provide healthcare for those who couldn’t afford it.
“Years ago, I was in the same position,” Wilkinson said. “I lost my job and insurance. It’s terrifying. You think, what if I get sick? What if something happens to my kid? We had all this stress because I was working two part-time jobs to pay bills.
My son fell out of a tree and caught a broken branch and it ripped his leg down to the bone. He was five at the time and we had no insurance. It was really expensive.”
Today, Wilkinson is planning the Acadia Medical Mission, a non-profit, healthcare clinic that will provide healthcare to people with no insurance and with limited funds for health care.
The clinic will target individuals suffering from long-term chronic illnesses, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, and who often ignore or delay care until an emergency occurs.
“I’m not talking about a cough or sore throat,” Wilkinson said. “You get over those things. I’m talking about people with chronic illnesses who avoid going to the doctor or getting treatment because they can’t afford it and don’t apply for Medicaid. It’s the working poor. They’re the ones falling through the cracks.
“I know President Obama is trying to address this issue, but even if the government fixes this, it’s going to take a long time. It’s not going to happen overnight.”
Rather than charge a fee, the clinic suggests a donation of $20. If an individual can’t pay the donation, they will still be seen anyway. Patients with insurance, however, will not be seen.
“It’s beneath the dignity of most people to receive free care. They want to feel they’re contributing,” Dr. Larry Miller, medical director said. “If they can’t even afford $5, we’ll see them anyway. It’s the old saying that an ounce of prevention is a worth a pound of cure. If you do have a disease, you try to prevent it from getting worse.
“If we can counsel people on their weight and diet, it saves them from having to go to the hospital for high blood pressure. It can prevent strokes. It’s far better to try to prevent a problem than waiting until it happens.”
The board of directors of Acadia Medical Mission have created a business plan and are applying for grants as well as seeking donations from the community.
Wilkinson said she will work for free at the clinic for six months, and then hopefully she can draw a salary. Many of the clinic’s employees will donate their time and expertise, including Bulverde EMS Executive Director Michelle Salmon, who serves on the Acadia Medical Mission board of directors.
Salmon knows all too well the harsh realities of people who can’t afford healthcare.
According to the Bulverde EMS records, in 2008, for Bulverde and Spring Branch area, the number of uninsured patients was 35 percent. It rose to 42 percent in 2009. In Blanco, part of the clinic’s coverage area, it has risen from 24 percent to 26 percent since the end of 2009.
“With the difficult economy we’re in, some people are losing their insurance benefits,” Salmon said. “They may be making $16 an hour, but they can’t afford to buy health insurance. It becomes a choice between putting food on the table or healthcare. It’s one of the major problems we have in our current healthcare system.”
For Miller, Wilkinson and Salmon, creating the clinic became a calling.
“It’s my life’s mission to help those who can’t afford medical care,” Miller said. “It’s about the people who fall between the cracks and hardworking families who can’t afford healthcare because they’re living from paycheck to paycheck. So they neglect care and end up having to go to the emergency room for treatment.”
Salmon was inspired to join the clinic after watching a friend suffer.
“We had a volunteer that worked with our EMS organization who was having diabetic and heart problems,” Salmon said. “Because she wasn’t able to afford care, she went through several crisis situations.”
Miller believes Acadia Medical Mission could be up and running six months after receiving funding.
“When people are in good health, it benefits the whole community,” Miller said. “But when people are out of work for an illness, it creates a domino effect.”
For more information about Acadia Medical Mission, call Wilkinson at (210) 218-9507.
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