A very informative presentation about the health care options available to those lacking health insurance in the Mahoning Valley was offered by Paul Parteleno of the Midlothian Free Health Clinic. Paul, a certified rehabilitation counselor, was among a group of concerned professionals that included nurses from Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Youngstown and Christ Lutheran Church in Struthers who saw a rising need for health care access among the uninsured in our area. In 2005, planning began on how to best address this need and, in 2008, the MFHC opened its doors on Midlothian Boulevard. Having gone through several improvements over the years, MFHC partnered with the Bitonte School of Health & Human Services in 2014 and eventually moved to its current location in The First Presbyterian Church on Wick Avenue in Youngstown. The MFHC is associated with The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics and is among several such facilities throughout Ohio.

Health care is provided to those in the 18 to 65 age range who are uninsured and have a household income within 200% of the HHS poverty level. The services provided include vision and dental care and is assisted by Mercy Health-St. Elizabeth Hospital. For those who would be better served using available health insurance programs, the MFHC often provides recommendations and assistance in meeting the requirements of those insurance options. The passage of the Affordable Care Act reduced the demand to assist the uninsured to some degree but the current reduction in ACA availability and significantly more onerous eligibility requirements is causing the number of those who will no longer have available Medicaid benefits to skyrocket. To meet this increasing demand, MFHC has an ongoing need for donations and people.

The MFHC is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit corporation and is administered by a volunteer board composed of individuals who live and work in the target service area that includes Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties. The Clinic is staffed by volunteer doctors, nurses and administrative support staff. All of the volunteers strive to provide a comfortable atmosphere to service the health care needs of the uninsured in our community. Strong emphasis is placed on providing non-judgmental, compassionate care, respecting the dignity and self-worth of every patient. Currently, the Clinic is open every 2nd and 4th Thursday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. of every month. As the patient base grows, so too will the service hours.

More information about the Midlothian Free Health Clinic is available by calling 330-787-4193 or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MidlothianFree HealthClinic.