BY NICK GRABBE STAFF WRITER
From Amherst Bulletin, Thursday, January 03, 2008
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.
(note: click here for an online donation)
From Amherst Bulletin, January 25, 2008
To the Bulletin:
The Amherst Survival Center greatly appreciates the support of the Bulletin during this transitional time, most recently exemplified by your editorial about our new free clinic last week. We agree wholeheartedly with you that a comprehensive approach is critical to the well-being of all area residents.
For this reason, we would like to remind Bulletin readers that our on-site medical services extend beyond the clinic to include registration for Massachusetts health insurance, weekly counseling for homeless consumers, and a flu shot clinic (which occurred in December), provided in collaboration with a range of organizations, including Health Care for the Homeless, Eliot Human Services and Amherst's Department of Public Health.
Upcoming health-related programming includes weekly health education and screenings by University of Massachusetts nursing students, as well as a health fair in conjunction with our spring open house in May. Although these services strain the capacity of our three basement rooms in North Amherst, we are committed to filling this critical gap in health services on our side of the river as part of our core mission to make sure that all area residents can meet the basic needs of their families.
We are very grateful for the generosity of the Amherst community, and especially to Dr. Clapp, Dr. Lowery, and board member Greg Kline, for helping to bring this vision to life.
Jan Eidelson
Amherst Survival Center, Board of Directors
Amherst