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Gennesaret Free Clinic expands days of service

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Gennesaret Free Clinic is expanding its commitment to health care for populations with little to no access to care, creating a central hub to improve access.

The clinic has seen a massive increase in its client base in the last year, mainly immigrant clients.
While its mobile programming has been successful, they hope having the hub in the Martindale-Brightwood community will further support underserved clientele.

The Genneserat free clinic has served the community for years. Before now, this clinic served clients about once a week, but as the clinic has made new renovations, they’ve expanded service hours to six days a week.

Located inside St. Vincent de Paul, it shares space with a popular food pantry, broadening access to food and free medical care, with specialized days like Women Wednesdays, where the focus is on breast and cervical health.

“We really wanted everybody that walks through this door to feel comfortable, and this is embedded inside a food pantry. But when you cross into this clinic, it’s a healthcare facility,” said Executive Director Theresa Patterson.

Patterson says health needs have spiked for communities of color since the pandemic, with immigrant communities growing more quickly.

“People truly don’t believe that there is actually access to high-quality free healthcare in the city, and we just need more people to know we are here. We are barrier-free,” Patterson said.

Pharmacist Ashley Meredith is a long-time volunteer and pharmacist overseeing the program.

“The clients that come and seek services at the food pantry are a lot of people of color. We knew that cardiovascular conditions are a big prevalent concern,” said Meredith.

The Center for Health Equity and Innovation is joining in on the support for at least the next year
offering a cardiovascular risk reduction program in-house.

Meredith also says recognizing social determinants of health exist is paramount in improving care., saying, “There are so many other factors that influence how someone is able or not able to be healthy.”