Georgia: Free Clinic Continues to Flourish

More than seven years after Dr. Charles Moore began setting up mobile health clinics in some of Atlanta's poorest neighborhoods, his idea has blossomed into a free clinic in the city's northwest section that serves some 600 people a month. This year, the HEALing Community Care Center added a new $1.2 million, 6,000-square foot clinic; pediatric and OB-GYN care; evening clinics; comprehensive care for people living with HIV/AIDS; and other services. "We address the entire person," said Moore, a surgeon at Grady Memorial Hospital and Emory Healthcare. "If someone isn't working and they can't afford food, does it really make sense to give them a prescription they can't afford?" Next year the clinic, which is set up at the nonprofit City of Refuge, plans to add dental services. Moore also has plans to start a garden to grow produce for people in the area, where the nearest grocery store is a 45-minute bus ride away. The center also has been able to hire medical assistants and other staff this year to supplement the efforts of about 60 volunteer professionals.

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