Chippewa Valley Free Clinic

Mission: To provide healthcare and advocacy for the people of the Chippewa Valley who have no healthcare alternative.

Back in 1994 Dr. Ken Adler shared the vision of a free clinic with a group of professionals from the Eau Claire area. Dr. Adler wanted to provide the uninsured and low income individuals of his community with an opportunity to receive much needed health care. This group of professionals became the steering committee for the project, and the creation of the Free Clinic was set in motion. From 1995 to 2012, Valleybrook Church provided rent-free space for the clinic. In June of 2012 we moved to our new location on the south side of Eau Claire. Many other groups, companies and organizations came forward as well, with the funding to help with start-up costs. United Way of Greater Eau Claire and the Visiting Nurses Association/ Combined Health Care Services donated over $100,000 for start-up costs. Volunteers were recruited and trained in preparation for the opening of the Clinic. On the first open night, July 1st, 1997, eight patients came for medical care. The next week the number of incoming patients doubled. With the growing number of patients, the cost of running the Clinic also grew and the Clinic was given a Community Development Block Grant by the State of Wisconsin. Many patients needed regular follow up care but because the Tuesday night clinics were first come first serve it could not be guaranteed that they would get an appointment. In answer to this, the clinic added a Thursday evening clinic twice monthly specifically for follow up patients. It was realized in 2004 that 1/3 of the patient visits were made by patients with diabetes and/or hypertension and in 2006 the clinic received a $50,000 grant from UW Medical School to start a diabetes-specific clinic. As the clinic grew the public took note. United Way of Greater Eau Claire accepted the Clinic as a participating agency and awarded the Clinic the largest grant ever given from United Way of the Greater Eau Claire Area. The Clinic was awarded a ?Point of Light? certificate by president George H. W. Bush. The Baxter Foundation awarded a grant to fund a plan for controlling drug costs in 2002. Through the early years of the new millennium, the Free Clinic assisted in the creation of other free clinics in the area, including the Free Clinic of the Greater Menomonie Area and the Open Door Clinic in Chippewa Falls. Since 1994, community volunteers and donors have made the operation of the Chippewa Valley Free Clinic possible. Fifteen years after the vision of a free clinic in Eau Claire was conceived, this small building enables over 200 volunteers and 6 paid staff members to serve the community. Even in the light of upcoming health care reform, CVFC provides a much needed service to the Chippewa Valley, and will not be closing its doors any time soon.

We provide free health care to those in the Chippewa Valley who have no healthcare alternative. To be eligible, a patient must have a household income that is at or below 200% of the federal poverty level guideline(approximately $21,000 per year for a single person) and does not have access to health insurance . Services include: basic primary care, urgent care, common chronic disease management, vision care, mental health services, diabetic specialty care, immunizations, exams/screenings, and social services. We will also be adding a dental program later in 2015. Services are provided by volunteer medical professionals such as doctors, nurses, lab technicians, pharmacist, pharmacy technicians, therapists, vision technicians, as well as numerous non-medical support personnel such as receptionists, administrative assistants, patient advocates, data entry specialists, meal providers, janitorial, and more! We have 130+ volunteers and it takes about 143 hours of volunteer service each week to keep the Clinic operational.