TYLER, Texas — A trip to the doctor can be financially catastrophic for some people — the 45 million uninsured or underinsured Americans.
Bethesda Health Clinic, a faith-based primary-care clinic started primarily by First Baptist Church of Tyler, is addressing that problem in East Texas by offering affordable healthcare in Christ's name.
“In our community, there was already pediatric, OB-GYN, and Medicare clinics established. So, our real focus was to develop a quality clinic for those who are working and uninsured,” said John English, executive director of the clinic. Many people “are working hard, but they just happen to work for a business that doesn't provide insurance.”
The need for a primary care clinic was apparent when Mike Massar, pastor of First Baptist Church, encountered a doctor at the University of Texas Health Clinic in Tyler.
Photo/courtesy of Mary Berry/Bethesda Clinic of Tyler
Lynette Ogletree joins other volunteers from Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, in serving at Bethesda Clinic. Volunteers from the church include doctors, specialists, nurses, dentists/dental hygenists, X-ray techs, translators, transcribers, patient advocates, receptionists and clerical assistants.
“She came to me and asked it she could use one of our Sunday school rooms to hold a clinic, because it was her calling to help people who did not have health insurance,” Massar said.
The doctor took Massar on a tour of local clinics. He recalled his shock at the lack of dignity and care offered to patients. Massar presented to the deacons at First Baptist the idea of opening a clinic, and a group went to tour a medical facility started by a church in Memphis, Tenn.
Massar wanted the health care ministry to be a community effort, so he invited other churches in the city to take part. Clinic organizers created a board of trustees, and they raised funds to renovate a building leased for $1 a year by First Baptist Church. Local doctors donated supplies for patient rooms and the pharmacy. Business leaders and lawyers at First Baptist helped with the paperwork and legal aspects of the clinic.
Bethesda Clinic offers help to patients ages 16 to 64 who work or live in Smith County. Fees are based on a sliding payment scale up to $20. The clinic is run by medical and nonmedical volunteers. Patients who need care not offered at the clinic are referred to specialists who donate their time and services.
Several churches have volunteered to run Saturday clinics and health fairs, providing not only medical care, but also information about preventative medicine. The clinic also offers healthy-living classes at the Bethesda Wellness Center, a prescription drug assistance program and diabetic education classes.
Photo/courtesy of Mary Berry/Bethesda Clinic of Tyler
Gynecologist Robin Fabre (left) and internist Grace English (right) serve during Bethesda Clinic's first Dia de las Madres — a free day of health and educational services directed toward Hispanic women in Tyler.
“I've lived in several places, and this is one of the most wonderful things I have seen happen in a community — where people can go for help and feel dignity and respect,” said Elaine Osburn, coordinator for the patient advocate program.
Workers at Bethesda want “to meet their medical needs, but that is not the only need we hope we could meet in the patients. We want them to know that this is a place that spiritual needs can be met,” Osburn said.
To do this, Osburn and other volunteers are available when patients need to talk or pray with someone. The volunteer staff meets daily in the chapel at the clinic to pray for patients' needs.
“We show people that we love them. We try to model out the love of Christ before we start talking about it,” Massar. “We don't make people jump through hoops in order to get help.”
Bethesda clinic has become an example for ECHO — Empowering Church Healthcare Outreach, a nonprofit organization based in Fort Worth that helps churches start healthcare ministries. ECHO takes the concepts, problems and successes that Bethesda experienced and helps other churches maneuver through the information to start their own clinics.
First Baptist “has learned so much in their efforts that they are willing to share,” said Tim Dammon, executive director of ECHO. “We learn a lot from them, and then we take that load off of them and share it with others. We help them understand the process to start (a clinic) — all the insurance requirements, malpractice coverage and recruiting volunteers and doctors.” Because ECHO is fully funded by the John and Nancy Snyder Foundation, it is able to offer services to churches free of charge.
A consultant is assigned to each church interested in this ministry and helps them through the 12- to 18-month process necessary to open a clinic.
ECHO has helped 10 churches — four in Texas — start healthcare ministries.
Dammon's goal is to start 10,000 primary-care clinics by 2030 and provide quality medical care for more than 20 million uninsured people in the United States.
In July, ECHO signed a memorandum with the Baptist General Convention of Texas to help affiliated churches launch healthcare ministries.
Helping churches provide healthcare is not a choice for Dammon. It is just following Jesus' commands.
“It is so clearly an extension of the gospel,” he said. “Jesus himself clearly called the church to be engaged with the poor and to meet needs.
“When I sit down and talk to pastors, there has not been one who has said that this is not what the New Testament church ought to be doing. I think that is what makes me so passionate about this.”