Facility on Johns Island sees 10,000th patient; expansion planned Johns Island -- Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic celebrated its three-year anniversary this week and had its 10,000th patient visit Wednesday. Organizers have their eyes set on the clinic's long-term future. They expect to expand the operation to a new, bigger location within a year, said founder Arthur Booth. The clinic Eligible patients must: --Have no health insurance, including Medicaid or Medicare. --Be over 18 years old. --Live or work on James, Johns or Wadmalaw islands. --Have household income at or below 200% of the current federal poverty guidelines ($21,780 for an individual or $44,600 for a family of four). Where: The clinic is located at 3226 Maybank Highway, Suite A-1, Johns Island When: It is open between 6 and 8 p.m. Mondays for walk-in hours and from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday for scheduled appointments. To be seen as a patient: Call the clinic at 843-266-9800. To volunteer: Call 843-266-9800 for the volunteer coordinator or email info@bifmc.org. On the Web: Go to www.bifmc.org for information. The clinic, a facility that serves the working poor, has nearly 100 volunteer physicians, nurses, interpreters and clerical staff and five paid workers who treat about 500 patients weekly -- far more than the 100 a month they treated in the first few months after opening, said James Spann, the clinic's medical director. Spann, the former head of cardiology at the Medical University of South Carolina, and Booth, a retired surgeon from Atlanta, said the clinic is not at capacity yet. Its staff could serve about 50 more patients a month if the facility expanded its hours of operation to six full days a week instead of five-and-a-half . Both doctors said they expect more demand for free health care from people who cannot afford insurance. "People are losing their jobs and their health insurance every day," Booth said. Post-expansion, the group still would serve only people who live or work on James, Johns or Wadmalaw islands. "That's where the need is," Booth said. How many people do they eventually expect to reach? "Everybody who needs help," he said. Both doctors agreed that it is difficult to gauge future demand among residents of the three islands for their services. The economy and job market are the greatest factors, they said. Operating on an annual budget of just more than $600,000 a year, according to its most recent financial filings, the nonprofit clinic has six patient rooms in its rented space on Maybank Highway. Its revenue comes from two annual fundraisers and from philanthropic organizations. Some medical equipment and medications are donated, and Roper St. Francis Healthcare and MUSC do nearly all of the clinic's radiology work and lab testing for free, Spann said. Its nurses and physicians -- cardiologists, urologists and gynecologists are among the specialists -- treat adult patients for a range of medical conditions. Some patients, like Shirley Shephard, come on a regular basis for chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Shephard, who works part-time at a local campground but cannot afford health insurance, was the clinic's very first patient three years ago. The 61-year-old has been back about every three months since then for treatment of her diabetes and high blood pressure. Her husband, who cannot work due to his heart condition, also is treated at the clinic. Others, like Keith Hudson, come in when they get sick. Hudson, who is self-employed and sells his hand-crafted merchandise at a local farmers market, was at the clinic Wednesday afternoon to be treated for bronchitis. The 63-year-old Vietnam War veteran said he has used the clinic about twice a year since its opening. "I come in and get a $4 prescription when I'm sick," he said. "That's something I can afford." In recent months, the clinic has expanded its services. Through the breast health initiative that began in February, the clinic's staff will schedule all of its female patients who are over the age of 40 -- it has 407 of them -- to have annual mammograms, said nurse Wanda Weart. To date, about 60 women have been scheduled for mammograms, she said. And two Mondays a month, the clinic offers free HIV testing, staff said.

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