Free N.Ky. medical clinic for uninsured

COVINGTON, Ky. - It is a first of its kind in Northern Kentucky. A medical clinic for folks without health insurance began at the this year at 2040 Madison Ave. in Covington.

The clinic was started by a group of nuns that belong to the Franciscan Daughter of Mary. The operate an early pregnancy center, food pantry and distribute clothing to people with little monetary means.  

According to Mother Saraphina Marie, the mission is always to uphold the dignity of every human person. She saw the need for a medical clinic, because the people the nunnery was serving were lacking health insurance and were getting regular medical attention at the nearest hospital emergency room.

Then opportunity knocked, or as Saraphina says, "The Lord blessed us."

"One of our volunteers told us that she was a nurse practitioner," Saraphina said. "I just turned to her casually and said,'We always wanted to open up free medical clinic,' and she said, 'Well, you can.'"

And they did. It opened in January. They regularly see nearly 300 patients and many of them make regular appointments to see the office of volunteering nurses, nurse practitioners, and doctors. Patients are seen every Tuesday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. On the day 9 News visited the clinic, there were about four appointments left in the day at 11:30 a.m. At 12:15 p.m., referrals were walking into the foyer for treatment.
 
"We help the uninsured people, because there are resources for people who are homeless, and [those] who have insurance," said Saraphina.