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But the clinic is mostly limited to serving those who live and work on the two islands, said Jennifer Brown, former director of volunteers for the island clinic.
So the Hardeeville resident is pushing for a Volunteers in Medicine clinic to serve the thousands of Bluffton and Jasper County residents she says are in desperate need of health care.
"I passionately think that everyone deserves health care," said Brown. "And the Hilton Head clinic can't take any more influx."
Brown said Hilton Head resident Dr. Jack McConnell founded the clinic in 1993 because he believed free, quality medical care was needed for island residents. "No one probably imagined though that the need would be so great in these neighboring communities," she said.
The island clinic, now in its 16th year, is staffed by about 380 retired physicians, nurses, dentists, chiropractors, social workers and lay volunteers who provide free health care to island residents and workers who can't afford it.Seventy percent of the patients have jobs and another 20 percent are children, according to the clinic. Only about 10 percent are unemployed or indigent. The patients have little insurance, no insurance or insurance with deductibles that are too high for them to meet.
The clinic's concept has been replicated in over 70 communities nationwide.
Brown, who has enlisted doctors and volunteers at the island clinic for help with the mainland project, said the need for medical care in Bluffton and Hardeeville is overwhelming.
"There are thousands of people in this area who are not covered by health insurance," Brown said. "This will be a free clinic for those who make too much money to get Medicaid but don't have enough money for insurance."
Brown hopes to use grants and individual donations to establish the clinic. While she hasn't yet found a location, Brown is confident organizers will have one selected within a month.
Establishing a free health care facility requires volunteers who have the skills to develop a clinic, Brown said.
Brown has enlisted six doctors, two nurses and about 80 volunteers, but the clinic will need more, she said.
"The VIM staff on the island are bending over backward to help," Brown said. "While we're lucky and very fortunate to have so many people sign up ... we still need more."
When the Hilton Head clinic opened in 1993, it focused on walk-ins and urgent care for patients seeking immediate treatment and medication. By the end of the first year, the part-time clinic had treated more than 1,000 patients, according to the clinic's Web site.
The clinic has evolved into a wellness practice, and many of its patients have appointments for follow-up care and treatment. The clinic offers more than 20 medical specialties and five disease-management clinics for patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension.
Brown hopes to also offer advanced care at the mainland clinic, such as vaccinations, dialysis, mental health treatment, dentistry and ophthalmology.
She is seeking volunteer physicians, nurses, attorneys, dentists, accountants, pharmacists, psychologists, Spanish-speaking translators, social workers and those with computer skills.
"There are 382 volunteers at the VIM clinic on the island," she said. "We desperately need more -- more nurses, translators, records keepers. We need people from every single walk of life."
HOW TO HELP
Those interested in volunteering or learning more about the Volunteers in Medicine clinic being established for Bluffton and Jasper County can e-mail Jennifer Brown at jbrownblufftonjaspervim@gmail.com. Brown is seeking volunteer physicians, nurses, attorneys, dentists, accountants, pharmacists, psychologists, Spanish-speaking translators, social workers and those with computer skills.
