On a recent Wednesday afternoon, Dr. Allen Seely hurried into the small waiting room of the Union Gospel Mission medical clinic carrying two large boxes of donated medications. The blue plastic chairs lined against the walls were already filled with patients.  Dr. Seely hit the ground running, calling the first patient on his list within five minutes of arriving.  He had, in fact, been running since 7 a.m. when his day started at the Valley Rockwood Clinic where he practices.  He skipped lunch, came straight to the Mission, and, in a whirlwind three-hour stretch, saw 20 patients with ailments ranging from dangerously high blood pressure to pulled muscles.  His one break was to take a call from the ER.  By 4:30, the weariness showed in Dr. Seely’s shoulders, but he took a deep breath, held out his arms, and smiled:  “This is my life.  It’s crazy and nuts, but I think we have to be crazy and nuts for the Gospel.”

The Union Gospel Mission Men’s Shelter began offering medical services free of charge to its homeless guests in February 1992 when the clinic was opened by Dr. Dexter Amend and his wife, Yvonne. Well over 10,000 patient visits have been performed since that time by the doctors and nurses who volunteer their time. Services are provided on a first-come first-served basis once a week on Wednesday afternoons. No narcotic drugs are prescribed.

Dr. Charlie Wolfe, who takes one shift a month at the Men’s Shelter and also serves on the Mission’s Board of Directors, emphasized the two-pronged benefits of the clinic.  First and foremost, God’s love is demonstrated in a very tangible way to men in great need. The doctors and nurses carry out Christ’s ministry of healing.  Secondarily, the community benefits because basic health needs and chronic conditions are handled outside hospital emergency rooms and communicable diseases are stopped before they spread to the larger community.

Last year, the clinics of the Union Gospel Mission treated 954 patients and gave an additional 141 tests for tuberculosis.  Dr. Wolfe suggested that if even half of those 954 patients had ended up at the emergency room for basic services, the costs (estimated at a low $150 per visit) would have added up to $71,550 – costs that would have been passed along, one way or another, to paying patients.

Helping Hands Clinic

The Helping Hands Clinic at Anna Ogden Hall was opened in 2005 to deal specifically with the medical needs of homeless women and children. With a registered nurse on staff two days a week and a volunteer doctor once a week, the pace and purpose of the women’s clinic differ from that of the men’s. 

“Three-fourths of what we do here is education,” said Susan Vowell, the clinic coordinator, with the three major emphases being:  quitting smoking, eating right, and exercising.  Each woman receives a complete physical, something the majority has not had in years.

Many residents have been treated for emotional issues before coming to Anna Ogden Hall. “In the system, they’ve often been treated as a number, and unfortunately, the most expedient solution to their problems has been medication. When the ladies come here, time is not a factor. They get to express their needs.  A relationship is built.”  And a holistic approach to their health is established.

Gratitude

Dr. Seely had to end his recent shift at 4:30 p.m. sharp to run to another appointment, and while he worked to the last possible moment, two men were still waiting to be seen.

One was Clyde, who, although he had waited for over an hour, wasn’t at all upset. On the contrary, Clyde – who had seen Dr. Seely previously – sang his praises: “He’s just awesome. He’s always going above and beyond. He’s even purchased my medication out of his own pocket. If I ever had the opportunity to do something for him, I would . . . in a heartbeat.”

The other man was hoping to get a prescription filled – a prescription for a two-hundred-dollar inhaler.  Dr. Seely gave him two:  “Don’t thank me,” he said.  “Thank God. He brought them to me, and I brought them to you.”

Meet our vounteers in the Medical Clinic>