The Public needs to Know - Draft Version
Tonya Addison
Dr. Ryan
ENG115
11/02/2014

Opening a free clinic can be a very good way to give back to the community, but is also a challenging thing to do. There are many legal, supply, volunteer recruitment, fund-raising and management issues to be considered.

First step would be to recruit a team consisting of doctors, office help, an accountant and legal attorney. Keep in mind your legal help should be familiar with medical laws and setting up nonprofit businesses. Be sure to get someone with plenty of experience in knowledge of how to fund programs, like Medicare or other local, state and federal programs. You should advertise in the newspaper, with local businesses and at local hospitals to bring volunteers. It would be good to hold meetings to discuss your future clinic needs and requirements of the staff. It would also be a great idea to consider recruiting volunteers for cleaning, reception and office work from local high schools or universities.
Second decide on the main services that your clinic will offer which should be based on your local demographic. You can get information about the main needs of the local uninsured from the health department. For example, you can determine that there may be a large number of uninsured adults and children in your community or a large migrant population. In that case, you would want a bilingual staff or at least a people who can communicate with clients and patients that speak another language. You need to determine the best days and hours of operation, which is important if you only have funding that only supports a couple of days a week or so. Also, you should decide if you will request any contributions or fees from patients, and how to determine these charges. Sometimes asking patients to pay for their care may make your clinic ineligible for funding programs, so make sure to consult an expert before implementing a policy of this sort
You should then obtain funding through charities, fundraising and federal or state grants. Also Consider hosting event like an auction to raise funds for the clinic and receive donations from the community. Determine your eligibility for funding from sources. This is why it is important to have someone on staff who understands the basics of charitable financing and obtaining grants.
Solicit equipment and donations from the community. Also check with local hospitals and other clinics for items like beds or chairs. Join with a local pharmacy to provide prescriptions to your clients on a voucher basis. Also, contact companies to receive low-cost medications. You can also become a delivery point for patient-assistance programs, where pharmaceutical companies provide medications for free or at a reduced cost for those otherwise unable to afford them. Most clinics find a combination of methods that are the most efficient ways to provide medicine for patients. Also, contact hospitals and testing centers to provide low-cost testing for patients who need tests like MRIs or ultrasounds.
You should then find a facility for your clinic. It's best to try and find a donated location to maximize your available funds. You could also ask local hospitals to borrow or lease their location for a reduced fee a few days per week.
Final step would be to advertise for clients after everything has been set in place. Your research should show you where to concentrate your efforts. Fliers and newspaper are very effective also word of mouth. Make local charities aware of your services, even if they don't provide any medical services. Send out your information to anywhere low-income and uninsured clients are likely to be.

References
How to Start a Free Health Clinic | Chron.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/start-health-clinic-13423.html en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_clinic en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UCSD_Student-Run_Free_Clinic_Project