Kissimmee doctors prove, it's not always about money

Kissimmee free clinic helps working poor, homeless
Kissimmee doctors care for uninsured, homeless
Mari Robyn Jones Special To The Sentinel
May 18, 2008

KISSIMMEE - They're called the working poor.

They have jobs but lack medical insurance. It's either too expensive to purchase through their company, or their jobs don't offer coverage.

Just a doctor's visit without insurance could cost them at least $100.

At the Osceola Christian Ministry Center, residents can step through the doors of its medical clinic and find four doctors and about a half-dozen nurses waiting to help them.

For free.

With just one doctor, the medical clinic began in a small room at the center at 700 Union St. Since then, three more doctors have volunteered their time, and two years ago the center added about a 1,000 square feet to its building, giving the clinic three exam rooms and a dispensary.

"It's a big benefit to everyone here in town," said John Cimermancic, who needed to use the clinic after feeling intense stomach pains. "If I hadn't gone in there, it might have been very severe. I would have ended up [needing] surgery."

Last year, more than 600 visits were made to the clinic, which the center's assistant director said is equivalent to $120,000 in medical care.

To qualify for help, patients cannot have insurance and must earn less than double the poverty line, or $41,300 for a family of four, assistant director Richard Burton said.
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