Sliding Scale and Free Clinics

In November 2000, the School of Nursing at the Medical College of Georgia and the Dearing Baptist Church formed a partnership to provide primary care services in a faith-based setting. The church donated the clinic facility, a house that was renovated by MCG students and members of the church congregation.

Faculty members from the School of Nursing provide health care services with both family nurse practitioners and RN-BSN and nurse practitioner students. Volunteers from the church and community serve as receptionists and provide ancillary services in the clinic. The clinic is open one afternoon per week and currently serves 15-20 patients.

All services are provided free of charge.

The partnership began as "needs assessment" conducted by undergraduate nursing students as a project for a community health nursing course. They discovered that there were no health care services available for residents of Dearing. Members of the church congregation were eager to be a part of the solution and provided resources and support. Additional community-based services include bi-annual health fairs, outreach to a nearby Hispanic community, as well as referrals to appropriate health care providers.