Caring for the Community

Temple Clinic offers free health care to those in need

By RACHEL STRICKLAND | Photos courtesy of TEMPLE COMMUNITY CLINIC

Access to affordable health care is a growing concern for many Texans, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic when millions of people lost their jobs and the health insurance provided by their employers. The rising costs of primary care and medical procedures has made health care unreachable for many Americans. That’s where Temple Community Clinic comes in. Executive Director Sherri Woytek says the clinic’s goal is to “fill the gap in health care for those who are uninsured or under insured.”

Founded in 1992 by the Leadership Temple Group and other community leaders, the Temple Community Clinic provides primary and specialty care, which now includes cardiology, dental, dermatology, gastroenterology, gynecology, optometry, podiatry, mental health and social work. The wide range of services is what makes the clinic unique. Any Bell County resident who is uninsured or under insured and is ineligible for government health programs may be eligible for services at Temple Community Clinic. It is also part of the Texas Association of Charitable Clinics and the National Association of Free and Charitable Charity Clinics, which set guidelines and standards about best practices for operating clinics.

According to Woytek, if people don’t have insurance, their only access point to health care is often the emergency room, which is expensive. Temple Community Clinic also helps its patients with prescriptions. In all, the clinic has saved the community over $5 million in medical bills.

When someone visits the clinic for an issue such as high blood pressure, their needs are initially assessed by a social worker to ensure that they don’t have any other issues that need to be taken care of, such as an expired glasses prescription or outstanding dental work. Then, they will get an appointment with a provider to have their health concerns addressed. The providers at Temple Community Clinic also work with a prescription assistance program to get patients’ medication at little to no cost if they can’t afford it.

Jerry Haisler, who has been with the clinic since the beginning and is currently the president of the clinic board, adds that one of the aspects that makes Temple Community Clinic unique is that staff members try to look beyond a patient’s straightforward medical issues. For example, he said, some people may not have access or funds to buy healthy foods, which may lead to related issues such as high blood pressure that often go undetected. But a social worker may be able to predict issues and help. “We want [our patients] to be successful, but we know that there might be some barriers [for them],” he says.

Woytek says volunteers from Baylor Scott & White help staff the clinic, and it also has Texas A&M medical students who rotate through the clinic. Providers offering specialty care volunteer monthly, and a nurse practitioner is paid to help at the clinic.

Qualifying patients — Bell County residents who fall below the 200% federal poverty level — receive free treatment at the clinic. Instead, the clinic is funded through grants, fundraising events and individual donors. Woytek says that every February, Temple Community Clinic participates in the Caring Ball, where it receives much of the needed funds to cover its operating costs. Fundraisers also are the biggest way the general public can help support the clinic.

Temple Community Clinic also offers educational programs that are open to the entire community, including a monthly education series called Living Well in Bell. Speakers cover topics such as brain health, GI health, nutrition and heart health.

In 2023, the clinic is moving to a new location on the corner of 31st Street and Avenue J in Temple. Construction started in mid-October. Woytek and Haisler said the new location will benefit their clientele because it will be more accessible and larger. The space will include a 3,000-square-foot community room perfect for their educational events.

“We’re always looking for ways to just provide better care. And as a board member, I’m proud to say that the care that we provide here is outstanding,” Haisler says.

TEMPLE COMMUNITY CLINIC
Address: 1905 Curtis B Elliott Drive, Temple
254-771-3374
www.templecommunityclinic.org