All About The Columbus Free Clinic
The Columbus Free Clinic is open Thursday evenings and we see between 20-35 patients from 6-10 PM. Our clinic is staffed entirely by volunteers, so the number of patients we are able to see varies depending upon the schedules of our volunteer students and physicians. Unlike some other free clinics in the area, the CFC serves as both an acute care clinic and a primary care home. We are able to provide a variety of lab services and prescription medications at no cost to our patients.
History
The Columbus Free Clinic was originally opened in the 1970s by Dr Peter Howison and was run out of his private office. It has evolved through the past thirty years into the clinic we know today. It is now run primarily by medical students with Dr. Kim Hooper as the medical director. In 1998, the clinic was moved to the Rardin Family Practice Center with the help of Dr. Mary Jo Welker and the Department of Family Medicine at Ohio State.
Non-Profit Status
The Columbus Free Clinic is a registered 501©(3) non-profit organization bound by the laws of non-profit corporations in the state of Ohio.
Services
The CFC offers medical services to adults and children and is unique among free clinics in that it allows patients to attend clinic as often as once every three weeks in order to meet their medical needs As a result, CFC serves as a medical home for many patients We strive, however, to work with our patient population to find community resources and patient assistance programs to help them obtain regular medical care at a full-time primary care center. The CFC can provide routine physical exams, routine GYN care, EKGs, and laboratory tests. For care beyond our services, we can also help set patients up with referrals. All services provided by the clinic are completely free, and we do not accept any payment unless if the patient wishes to make a donation. A patient's insurance status will only be discussed if the patient may qualify for other programs that require specific insurance information.
Student Organization
CFC is a registered OSU student organization.
"Nite Out"
This is the annual med student talent show held in April of each year. All proceeds go to the Columbus Free Clinic. You can check it out here.