The Free Clinic always accepts new patients, give us a call at 440-277-6641

For many years, the home of the Free Clinic was in the basement of Christ Lutheran Church at the corner of 33rd Street and Pearl Avenue, which was converted into a clinic by volunteers that included physicians, clergy and an array of others who had the needed skills. The only paid employee was a part-time coordinator, and all the medical care was and still is provided by volunteer physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, dentists, and optometrists. Patients were seen by appointment at the clinic and referred to volunteer specialists as needed. In 1996 and 1997, satellite clinics were opened in Elyria and in Oberlin. A full- time director and additional paid office staff were added to the organization as the client base and range of services grew.

Support from the existing medical institutions in Lorain was essential to the success of the Free Clinic. St. Joseph’s Hospital, Community Hospital, Amherst Hospital, Elyria Memorial Hospital and Allen Hospital in Oberlin took turns providing the needed diagnostic and in-patient services. That support continues today with Mercy Health, University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center, and the Cleveland Clinic. Since the Free Clinic’s inception, Drs. Russel Berkebile & Associates has read diagnostic imaging for clinic patients. An early realization that patient compliance with medications was affected by their ability to afford them necessitated the recruitment of volunteer pharmacists and the procurement of donated drugs. Southside Pharmacy served as the clinic’s pharmacy for many years. Financial Support from foundations, donations from generous citizens and corporations, and fundraising volunteers made all this possible.

Christ Lutheran Church donated the use of its building to the Free Clinic for 31 years, allowing the clinic to operate with little overhead except for utilities; but the one-hundred-year-old building needed repairs, and there had been a long-time discussion in the clinic board of directors concerning the need to provide an attractive and welcoming environment for patients.

In December of 2016, the clinic purchased the Boy-doe medical building on Oberlin Avenue, and the current chapter of its history began. New services continue to be added as the needs of the community evolve.

Today, the clinic continues to operate with the help of volunteer professional medical providers along with the help of our three hospital systemsMercy Health, University Hospitals-Elyria and Cleveland Clinic.

The Free Clinic always accepts new patients. Give us a call at 440-277-6641.