St. Mary's Health Clinics

9 Quick Facts About St. Mary's Health Clinics

1. Thirteen clinic sessions per week in nine neighborhood locations throughout the Twin Cities metro area. There are three locations in St. Paul, two in Minneapolis and four in the suburbs.

2. Clinics provide access to medical care for low-income individuals and their families who are without healthcare coverage and currently not eligible for government subsidy programs.

3. Patient care is provided by volunteer physicians, nurses and admissions personnel. Volunteer interpreters are available at some sites.

4. More than 750 specialty physicians in 45 specialty areas have agreed to see St. Mary’s Health Clinic patients without charge in their offices, when referred by one of our clinic physicians.

5. Seven hospitals throughout the metropolitan area offer out-patient and in-patient services for clinic patients at discounted rates. Some medications are dispensed at the clinic sites or local pharmacies provide prescription medications at discounted rates. All services are provided free to clinic patients and funds to pay the un-discounted portions of the rates are raised through gifts and grants.

6. All medical care rendered to the patient — including diagnostic examinations, most medications and hospitalizations — is free to the patient.

7. There were 5,320 patient visits recorded in our volunteer-staffed Clinics and 7,142 primary care patient encounters at Park Nicollet clinic locations during the twelve-month period ending June 30, 2007. Most of the patients are between 19 and 54 years of age and reflect the ethnic culture of the poor in the metropolitan area.

8. The majority of patients have low paying jobs and are not offered health insurance or cannot afford the premiums, or are between jobs and cannot afford COBRA benefits. Many of these people are on the brink of poverty.

9. The operating budget for fiscal year ending June 30, 2007 was nearly $1.5 million. Funding comes from individual donations, the Carondelet Gala, contributed services of volunteers, and the Sisters of St. Joseph Ministries Foundation.