Volunteers in Medicine plans to open Las Vegas clinic in December

John Gurzinski/viewDr. Florence Jameson consults with patient Denise De La Cruz on Aug. 24. Jameson is among a handful of doctors working to open a free health clinic at Paradise Park in Las Vegas. Advertisement

Paradise Park is a popular spot for balmy weather activities with its baseball field, pool and playground. Construction started two weeks ago on a small building inside the park as a sign of a different kind of activity to come.

The refurbished building will be the site of Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada's free health clinic, slated to open in early December after two years of efforts from a handful of local doctors, nurses and other volunteers.

The clinic, located at 4770 Harrison Drive, will be the newest of 72 under the national organization Volunteers in Medicine, started by a doctor in 1994. It will operate like a family practice clinic, promising to provide quality care from top volunteer doctors and nurses for those who have little or no insurance.

"This is a dollar late and a day short," said Florence Jameson, an obstetrician-gynecologist who's spearheaded the project. "I believe 100 percent that we've created a major social problem that all of us need to chip in to solve."

In the midst of explosive talk about the nation's health care plight and local hospitals sinking in the red, burdened by uninsured patients, the clinic is a vital first step to address the mounting problem, according to Andrew Eisen, associate dean for clinical education at Touro University Nevada.

"It's more expensive when people don't have access to health care," he said, referring to strained emergency rooms and the ill missing work. "We're already behind the eight ball here, but what we need to do is get in front of the issue and deliver preventative care."

People will have a chance to show their support of the project at a fundraiser event, Volunteers in Medicine Ball, at 7 p.m. on Oct. 2 at Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Tickets are $200 and can be purchased at www.vmsn.org. Donations also can be made at the Web site. The group behind the clinic hopes to raise $200,000 at the event.

Through grants and donations, the clinic has secured enough money for the building restoration and the first six months of care. Jameson's goal is to land enough to assure the first full year of care.

It will cost roughly $350,000 to run the clinic for one year, and it will provide enough care that would cost a typical clinic between $6 million and $7 million, Jameson added.

"You're not going to get much better return for your money than this," she said.

About 250 people have promised to work as volunteers -- 70 doctors, 30 nurses, plus social workers, housekeepers and others.

With the help of Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center, 3186 S. Maryland Parkway, and University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, 1800 W. Charleston Blvd., the clinic is credentialing each of its volunteer doctors and nurses. The next step is to hire about five or six paid staff to handle daily operations.

On a typical day, it will be staffed by a couple volunteer doctors, a pharmacist and medical students to treat between 15 and 20 patients a day. Several local hospitals say they will provide the clinic free diagnostics and X-rays.

Sunrise Hospital president and Chief Executive Officer Sylvia Young said the hospital is quick to help the clinic because it will help alleviate the hospital's emergency room from less urgent cases.

"Every day, we see uninsured patients in our emergency room who may not be experiencing an emergency, but have nowhere else to turn for much-needed medical care," she said. "These visits, which cost the hospital millions of dollars of uncompensated care, really belong in a lower-cost, lower-acuity setting."

Garn Mabey, a gynecologist in northwest Las Vegas, said if a handful of doctors, especially recently retired doctors, offer a few hours a month, it will make a significant impact on the valley's health issue. He plans to volunteer a couple of afternoons a month.

As the minority leader for the state Assembly in 2007, Mabey studied several different approaches to help the uninsured and found that Volunteers in Medicine's method was the best out there. He requested and received an appropriation from the state legislature to start the clinic.

"In my opinion, this is the best way because it focuses on complete volunteerism," he said. "It provides the liability coverage and it emphasizes the retired physicians who want to still use their skills but don't have a place to do it. And now they will."

After a handful of neighbors near Paradise Park voiced their opposition to the clinic, the Clark County Board of Commissioners asked that Volunteers in Medicine limit the number of patients it treats in the first year of operation to 6,000 and set strict regulations on who can be treated at the facility.

Patients must undergo a screening process before an appointment can be made. They must be a resident of Clark County for at least three months, provide photo identification, a Social Security card or a birth certificate and make less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level guidelines. For example, a household of three can make no more than $36,620 to qualify for care.

Volunteers in Medicine plans to eventually open a clinic in downtown Las Vegas that will have fewer regulations and see more patients.

"I believe health care should be a responsibility," Jameson said. "On the other hand, the society we live in has made it impossible for the working poor to afford health care. If you need health care, we honestly want to provide it."

Contact Southeast and Southwest View reporter Danielle Nadler at dnadler@viewnews.com or 224-5524.