Grace Clinic Marion gives 'gift of free medical care' to residents in need

Andrew Carter, Marion Star
·4 min read
Registered Nurse Colleen Freed and Executive Director Melissa Mason, seated, wait for patients to arrive on Monday, June 20, 2022, at Grace Clinic Marion, located in the Leapin' Outreach Center facility at 148 Court St. in downtown Marion. The free clinic opened in Marion earlier this year. Grace Clinic was established in 2006 in Delaware County and now has four locations.

"Sharing the love of Christ through the gift of free medical care" isn't just a slogan for the healthcare workers and other professionals who volunteer their time to support the work of Grace Clinics of Ohio, Inc. It truly is a way of life for them.

Executive Director Melissa Mason said the clinic was first established in 2006 in Delaware County thanks to the work of members of Grace Church of Powell. Included in that founding group were two physicians (twin brothers Kent and Kevin Doherty), an attorney, and others who saw the need for a free clinic to help residents who didn't have insurance or the finances needed to have access to quality healthcare services.

"It was originally in the Andrews House in Delaware, which is a non-profit facility that lets other non-profits use their space," said Mason. "So every Wednesday they had a team of people who would go in and set up the exam rooms like MASH rooms, basically, and then tear them down at the end of the night. It progressed to a permanent location in Delaware on Franklin Street."

The medical ministry has since grown to four locations, including one in Marion that is housed in the Leapin' Outreach Center building at 148 Court St. The other two facilities are the Hardin Clinic, located at 2052 Cleveland Ave. in Columbus, and the Jackson County Grace Clinic, located in Wellston in southeastern Ohio.

This is one of the two examination rooms available at Grace Clinic Marion. The free clinic is located at 148 Court St. in the Leapin' Outreach Center facility in downtown Marion.
This is one of the two examination rooms available at Grace Clinic Marion. The free clinic is located at 148 Court St. in the Leapin' Outreach Center facility in downtown Marion.

Grace Clinic Marion opened this year, thanks in large part to the assistance of local volunteers, Mason said.

"Leapin' Outreach Center had some space that had recently become vacant and there was talk about the need for a health clinic, so they offered us that space to provide free healthcare in the Marion area," Mason said. "So we've been able to do that thanks to some volunteers that were already at the Delaware clinic and several employees from Dr. (Parminder) Singh's office in Marion have been wonderful in helping us support the clinic with volunteers. The Lifepoint Marion church plant has also been great providing support for the clinic."

Grace Clinic receives funding from a variety of sources including the United Way of Delaware County, SourcePoint, Grace Church of Powell, Delaware County Foundation, Delaware County Healthcare Foundation, Grady Hospital Medical Staff, Women Giving Together, Ohio Health, Central Ohio Primary Care, and New Hope Community Church. The clinic does not receive any direct government funds and does not bill insurance or Medicaid, Mason said.

She noted that the clinic accepts patients who "are underinsured or uninsured and at or below 200% of the federal poverty level."

Mason said Grace Clinic Marion officials try to work in tandem with existing medical facilities in the communities they serve in an attempt to accommodate patients in the best way possible.

"We did meet with Marion General Hospital administration, so they're aware," she said. "When we first come into a community we try to make connections with the hospitals so when indigent patients are released from the hospital or the ER, we can help them with their population. A lot of times they refer them back to us after they've been treated for follow-up care or medication. We're happy to keep folks out of the emergency room that we can otherwise treat.

"Conversely, I think the hospitals know if we send a patient to the emergency room, we've already checked them out and know that an emergency room visit is necessary. Those visits get costly to the hospitals and the taxpayers, so that's a big service to the local hospitals that we can provide."

This is the waiting room at Grace Clinic Marion, located at 148 Court St. in the Leapin' Outreach Center facility in downtown Marion.
This is the waiting room at Grace Clinic Marion, located at 148 Court St. in the Leapin' Outreach Center facility in downtown Marion.

Mason said Grace Clinic Marion also provides free athletic physicals for local school students and physicals for employment. She said they also treat "acute illnesses" such as urinary tract infections and strep throat. A onsite lab is available at the Marion office.

"Our next big population would probably be diabetics and high blood pressure patients," she noted. "Making sure that they are being regularly seen and stay on the meds that they need and provide those if necessary."

Mason said vision and dental services are not available at Grace Clinic Marion, but she hopes to add more services in the future.

Grace Clinic Marion is open on Monday at 5:30 p.m. for walk-in patients. No appointment is necessary.

For information about Grace Clinics of Ohio, go to its website graceclinicweb.org. Contact the Marion clinic by calling 740-816-6955. To make a financial donation or for information about becoming a volunteer at Grace Clinics of Ohio, click on the "Support Us" tab on the website. Grace Clinic Marion also has Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Email: ecarter@gannett.com | Twitter: @AndrewACCarter

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Grace Clinic Marion gives 'gift of free medical care' to those in need