ORANGE PARK – They all agreed there is a need for healthcare services for the underserved. Make that a big need.

That’s why representatives from The Way Free Medical Clinic, Baptist Clay Patient Care Services, Clay County Health Department, Palms Medical Group, First Coast EMS Advisory Council and Ascension St. Vincent’s Clay’s EMS Outreach are so frustrated.

While more residents are losing their healthcare because of spiraling costs, the groups committed to helping the uninsured and underinsured are offering their services for little or no cost. They also work to keep residents from going to the emergency room for non-emergency issues.

All said there’s also a need for volunteers, including doctors, dentists and technicians as they try to deliver care to those in need.

While there are other obstacles, one of the biggest is a lack of understanding by those who think they can’t afford care.

“We'll have patients that come in that are on our sliding fee [schedule], that we have,” said Palms Medical Group Practice Manager Specialist Tiaira Tyson. “A sliding fee that we offer is for our non-insured patients. If you have no income, it's $20. So, it ranges from $20 to $50, based on your household size and your income.”

Medical and dental services at The Way are free, said Andrea Crowder, executive director.

“It's wonderful that we're getting a lot of patients coming into our clinic,” she said. “Last month, I would have to say 81 new patients walked through our doors asking for services. Normally, it's about 25, 30.

“That was something incredible for us. Now we have to figure out, do we have the capacity to be able to take care of these individuals? Now we have to look for more doctors, open up another exam room, another admin room to make it into another patient room to make sure that we're not turning anyone away.”

The panel addressed the SafetyNet Alliance on Thursday, Aug. 20. SafetyNet is a collection of governmental and civic nonprofits and church groups that work to solve issues by sharing information and resources.

Healthcare was an issue that caught everyone’s attention because it’s not easy to reach those who need help the most. They also said the lack of reliable public transportation leaves too many homebound.

“A lot of our patients don't receive primary or anything like that just because they simply can't get there,” Crowder said.

“The gifts you get at the end of the day to know you helped that person feel better [is] when they walk out that door and that smile is on their face and know that their appointment is coming up again. They're looking forward to it, that's what makes me happy.”

The Way relocated in 2024 from a dilapidated building in Green Cove Springs to a new and expanded facility at 302 College Dr. in Orange Park. Like other services provided by Ascension St. Vincent’s EMS Outreach and Emmanuel Project of Northeast Florida’s free mobile clinics, the equipment and doctor care is “top-tiered,” according to Kevin Kotsis, EMS Outreach Coordinator at St. Vincent’s.

Another valuable resource is the Impact Clay Train, which makes a monthly stop at one of four locations – Green Cove Springs Junior High, Keystone Heights Junior/Senior highs, Grove Park and Clay Hill elementary schools.

There, residents can get medical care and information about other services from the Emmanuel Project and St. Vincent’s, and mental health services from Clay Behavioral Health Center. The September stop will be from 10 a.m. to noon on the 19^th at Keystone Heights.

To see where the Ascension St. Vincent’s mobile clinic will appear, visit emmanuelproject.org. To see what other services are offered at The Way Free Medical Clinic, visit thewayclinic.org. And to see what services, along with location stops, that are offered at the Impact Clay Train, visit impactclay.org.