By Kate Leo
One of the most prominent issues and focuses in today’s society is access to quality health care, no matter the individual’s situation. I recently was made aware of a free clinic not far away from Chapel Hill, in Siler City, that provides health care to those who cannot afford many services, if any services at all. The clinic, Vidas de Esperanza, mostly serves those in the hispanic population. The founder, Ascary Arias, grew up in Ixmiquilpan, Hidalgo, Mexico until he was 17 years old.
After moving to the United States, he went to Greensboro College and double majored in sociology and Spanish, and he also double minored in art and international studies. After his junior year, he wanted to help those in his hometown and decided to start the free clinic.
UNC contributes to the efforts of this free clinic by providing physician volunteers from UNC health systems and dentists from the School of Dentistry. These services are provided three times a month. There are also home-visits by nurses where they provide school supplies, holiday gifts, and food. MEDLIFE, a club on campus, also provides help about once a month where volunteers help with the basic needs like taking vitals and filling out prescription forms to gain medical experience.
The organization is completely non-profit and therefore relies heavily on volunteers and donors. There is such a high demand both in the community and surrounding areas, and lines and waiting times tend to get long when the clinic is open. Vidas de Esperanza however does a great job though by getting to know every patient and their situation so they really understand the best plan of action.
I am very interested in health policy which is all about providing high quality, accessible, and affordable health care to all individuals. The issue is how to best achieve this goal. Free clinics are a great way to provide services, but they also are easily overwhelmed by the demand for them and the amount of money and resources it takes to operate one. Vida de Esperanzas though has had a great success story, and they have a passionate team who is dedicated to making it the best experience for patients and team members.
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