AMHERST - Two physicians will
volunteer their time to provide basic health care at the Amherst Survival
Center starting Jan. 14.
Dr. Susan Lowery will be at the
Center at 1200 North Pleasant St. from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays. Dr. David
Clapp will be there from 2 to 3 p.m. Tuesdays.
Lowery practiced at Amity Medical
Associates in Amherst from 1992 to 2004, but she left because of health
problems.
She said she regards the free
clinic as an opportunity to help people who often don't see doctors.
"This is a population that
distrusts the health care system," she said. "We're meeting them
where they are, in a place they've learned is safe."
Many Survival Center visitors have
been homeless or under other stresses, and often feel overwhelmed by
day-to-day living, Lowery said. Some women aren't getting mammograms as often
as they should, and many need blood sugar or cholesterol tests, she said.
The clinic is seeking donations so
it can buy medical equipment, such as blood pressure cuffs and a folding
examination table. A collection at a holiday dinner of women doctors raised
$200, Lowery said.
Many people who come to the
Survival Center for free meals and clothing haven't seen a doctor in decades,
said Tracey Levy, the program director. Most have no current relationship
with one, she said.
"We want to introduce the
concept that, yes, you can take care of yourself and you don't have to go out
of your way," she said. "People come in with aches and pains and
wait until there's a crisis and then go to the emergency room."
Often, visitors come to her
seeking health care referrals, Levy said.
The Survival Center provides some
help with health insurance paperwork, and a representative from the Salvation
Army visits to write vouchers, but this is the first time physicians have
volunteered to offer their services, Levy said.
Since 2002, Lowery has cared for
her dying mother, gotten more involved in the schooling of her three
children, and filled in at Amity Medical Associates in 2006 when her former
partner was ill.
She will get satisfaction from
volunteering her services, and because the clinic is free, there will be no
headaches with insurance providers, she said.
"It's a feel-good experience,
when the need is this tremendous," Lowery said. "I know we can't
meet all the needs, but whatever we do is more than was there before."
Donations to help meet the free
clinic's expenses can be sent to: Amherst Survival Center, P.O. Box 9629,
Amherst, MA 01059. |