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Working Poor Rely On Care Given Free At Judeo Clinic

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By PHILIP MORGAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 22, 2007

TAMPA - Mostafa Ahmed felt the pain in his chest and his hands. He called his boss, closed the gas station where he worked and rushed to the emergency room at St. Joseph's Hospital.

He had suffered a heart attack at age 32. After bypass surgery, the immigrant from Bangladesh came away with a new chance for a long life, which he figures he'll need to pay off the $37,000 doctor's bill.

He could not afford follow-up visits or the $450 a month in prescription drugs, he says. So he's relieved to have found the Judeo Christian Health Clinic.

Before health care workers at St. Joseph's referred him, he had no idea such a service existed.

"It surprised me," he says, sitting in the waiting room recently for his first visit.

He was told he would be assigned a cardiologist who would give him checkups, and he would get his prescriptions filled - all for free.

The Judeo Christian Health Clinic is among the charities traditionally featured in the Tribune's annual Holiday Wish List, which invites nonprofit organizations to list their needs. Donors moved by the season can choose to help.

The Tribune will publish the charities' wish lists on Page 2 of BayLife from Nov. 30 through Dec. 25. The entire list will be available on TBO.com.

The clinic was founded in 1972 by the Rev. James Holmes behind St. John Presbyterian Church, where he was pastor. In 1999, developer Jim Shimberg, who died in June at age 84, raised $1 million to build a new clinic at the same location. The money also provided an endowment to help pay for services.

The clinic depends on donations to pay for medicine and equipment to care for its clients. Last year, it had 26,000 patient visits, says Bea Dreier, executive director of the clinic at 4118 N. MacDill Ave.

"These clients are what you might call the working poor. They work at low-paying jobs. They don't get any benefits, like health insurance. They struggle from payday to payday," she says.

To qualify, patients fill out paperwork and show proof of income. They cannot be below poverty level or 250 percent above poverty level, says Dreier.

In addition to donations for supplies, the clinic is asking for more health care volunteers. Currently, 64 doctors and about 300 nurse practitioners, nurses, medical assistants and pharmacists volunteer at the clinic. They go to work in the evening and see patients late into the night - after they've spent the day at their jobs, Dreier says.
"They do it out of the goodness of their hearts."

To donate to or volunteer at the Judeo Christian Health Clinic, call (813) 870-3231.

The Tampa Tribune Wish List offers all charities, nonprofit organizations and social service agencies an opportunity to post their needs for the holidays. Registered nonprofits are invited to send their requests, along with a telephone number and a brief description of the services they provide, on letterhead stationery to Philip Morgan, The Tampa Tribune, P.O. Box 191, Tampa FL 33606, or fax the information to (813) 259-7676. Reporter Philip Morgan can be reached at (813) 259-7609 or pmorgan@tampatrib.com.

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