Free health clinic on May 7

Katie Marshall and Merry Ann Frisby
Shepherd’s Hands of Suwannee Valley

Do you or does someone you know need medical care? The Shepherd’s Hands free health clinic will be open this month in Jefferson County on Tuesday, May 7, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at Christ Episcopal Church on Cherry Street in Monticello. This clinic is an outreach ministry of Shepherd’s Hands of the Suwannee Valley, Inc., of the Episcopal Diocese of Florida.
Services are provided to all who qualify and are in need. These can include medical examinations based on the particular problems of the individual, testing for diabetes, urinalysis, screening for eye problems and an EKG unit for heart monitoring.
Shepherd’s Hands free medical clinic is designed to serve people who have no insurance and meet certain income criteria. There are lots of hard working people who go to work every day to take care of their families, but health insurance is beyond their means. The clinic is completely free. The laboratory tests are completely free.
Shepherds Hands is staffed by volunteer medical and non-medical people. These people come from varied local churches and give their time to lend a hand to other neighbors. For last month’s clinic, two physicians volunteered as well as several registered nurses. Non-medical volunteers are trained by the Florida Department of Health. All volunteers want to assist in keeping Jefferson County people as healthy as they can.
To be eligible for services:
1. You must not have any health insurance (This includes Medicaid and Medicare).
2. Your income must be less than the table standards as listed below.

2023 Federal Poverty Level Guidelines

For each additional person, add $857.

If you are uninsured, meet the above financial criteria and need medical assistance, come to the clinic. It is held on the first Tuesday of every month from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at Christ Episcopal Church, located at 425 N. Cherry St. in Monticello.