A new health clinic for people with a low income and/or no insurance will open for the second time Thursday.
The Alachua County Area Medical Reserve Corps’ clinic is located in the Fearnside Family Services Center, located at 3600 NE 15th St., from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays.
The Alachua County Health Department oversees the clinic, which will offer free health services that are available at any regular urgent care center, said Brad Caron, the director of the Reserve Corps.
Caron said most of the clinic’s opening-day visitors were families, but qualifying students are always welcome.
UF already has several valuable services available on campus, Caron said.
He said the clinic offers services such as acute episodic care, sexually transmitted infection screenings, physicals, immunizations and preventative care.
“We’re excited about the influx of families we’ve had already,” said Caron. “People are loving the idea of a walk-in center they can get services at for free.”
The location will offer dental services within the next year, said Natalie Strappy, the director of the Alachua County Public Schools Parent Academy. The women, infants and children nutrition program will open in the summer.
Alachua’s low-income neighborhoods are recognized as being underserved, and the clinic is a step toward solving this problem, she said.
Strappy said families may also lack transportation, but most low-income residents in northeast Gainesville are within walking distance of the clinic.
Fearnside, she said, is known for educational programs such as its pre-K Head Start classes. Along with the clinic, the facility also introduced a library and 15 computers that may help families find employment.
The center offers a Parent Academy Bus that helps parents earn their GED, Strappy said. The bus is also used for the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters program, run by leaders who visit homes and teach parents how to educate their children.
Caron said the new clinic will strengthen Fearnside’s efforts in the community.
“We’re excited about the opening because the benefit of a walk-in place for low-income families and people will greatly impact our community,” Caron said.
