February 20, 2013 – Mr. Bill Jacobsen, CEO and Administrator of Carilion Memorial Franklin Hospital, visited the Rotary Club of SML to discuss the Free Clinic of Franklin County and the increasing use of hospital emergency room services as primary care substitutes.
According to Mr. Jacobsen, many uninsured citizens of Franklin County and surrounding areas too often visit the emergency room for treatment than can be provided by a primary care physician or clinic at a much lower cost. Hospitals struggle to provide quality patient care at affordable costs when patients use the emergency room for non emergency care.
The Franklin County Free Clinic’s mission is to provide quality primary care for uninsured families of the poor, the working poor and elderly on fixed incomes. The Free Clinic of Franklin County is located at 490 South Main Street, Rocky Mount, VA. The clinic sees adults for primary health care and provides prescriptions at a minimal cost to the patient.
Current medical services include care provided by physicians and physicians assistants; laboratory studies and some x-rays; low cost prescriptions; specialty care for diabetics and dental extractions. An appointment to see a physician is required. Call the clinic between 8:00AM and 4:00PM Monday through Thursday for an appointment to register. The clinic may be reached at 540-489-7502.
More information about the clinic is also available online at http://www.fcfreeclinic.org.
Photo caption: SML Rotary President, Dave English, right, thanks Mr. Bill Jacobsen, CEO of Carillion Memorial Franklin Hospital.
