Partners in Profile: Local Hospitals Support the Work of AmeriCares Free Clinic of Bridgeport

 
Teamwork and collaboration are two key factors in the success of the AmeriCares Free Clinics.  The cooperation demonstrated by volunteer physicians, nurses and interpreters at a clinic session is often remarked upon by newcomers and by the patients themselves.  But equally important is the strong alliance between each clinic and their local hospitals.  This is quite evident at the AmeriCares Free Clinic of Bridgeport.
 
“Bridgeport Hospital and St. Vincent’s Medical Center are both very understanding of our mission,” says Sharon Joslin, director of the AmeriCares Free Clinic of Bridgeport.  “They are absolutely a pleasure to deal with and they certainly help us help the uninsured.”
 
The AmeriCares Free Clinic has been collaborating with Bridgeport Hospital and St. Vincent’s since the clinic opened in the summer of 2003.  From the beginning, both hospitals were fully committed to providing diagnostic imaging, emergency room visits and access to medical specialists for the working poor.
 
“The two-year partnership between AmeriCares and Bridgeport hospital has been a success due to coordinated efforts from all those who have been involved,” said Kim Bielecki, the Nurse Case Manager for the Primary Care Center at Bridgeport Hospital.  “It gives me personal satisfaction as well as those staff members who interact with these patients, knowing that we can provide these services.”
 
More than 750 patients have received care at the AmeriCares Free Clinic of Bridgeport.  Volunteer physicians and nurses give up their mornings or afternoons to treat these patients, providing a dose of compassion along with medication and advice.  Some of these medical professionals come from nearby St. Vincent’s.
 
 “The commitment of our physicians and nurses to this program is the reason why we are able to provide such needed services to the uninsured.  Partnering with AmeriCares has helped St. Vincent extend its mission to treat all patients, regardless of their insurance status.  We look forward to the continuation of this important program and are grateful to the staff who continue to volunteer their time.”