MARSHFIELD – Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, Inc., is proud to support the Rice Lake Area Free Clinic, an organization providing health care services for uninsured and underinsured individuals throughout Barron, Rusk, Washburn, Polk, Burnett and Sawyer counties.
“Our mission is to create a healthier community,” said Director of Rice Lake Area Free Clinic Mike Farrell. “We provide free health care for those who don’t have access, in addition to counseling, education and help navigating the health care system. We’re here for anyone in need of services we provide.”
The Rice Lake Area Free Clinic serves hundreds of patients each year and has been operational since 2010. The clinic is funded solely through charitable donations and doesn’t receive any federal or state funding. One of the most expensive items in the clinic’s budget is medication, specifically insulin and diabetic drugs.
“We budget $6,000 annually for pharmaceuticals, which is a significant cost for us. The funding from Security Health Plan will allow us to provide necessary medication to patients with diabetes, hypertension, COPD, depression, infections and other health conditions,” added Farrell.
Open every Tuesday evening, the Rice Lake Area Free Clinic is the only health care option for many of the clinic’s patients, outside of the emergency room. Furthermore, many of the individuals seeking care at the clinic have Type I or Type 2 diabetes. Not only do these patients receive necessary medications to control their diabetes, they also receive access to diabetes and nutrition education, helping them understand how to manage their condition.
“Supporting organizations like the Rice Lake Area Free Clinic positively impacts the community,” said Security Health Plan Director of Population Health Heather Kurtz. “We share a similar mission, in that we want to help our communities reach their best health. Security Health Plan is proud of the work Rice Lake Area Free Clinic is doing to benefit the community, improving health and lowering the cost of care by preventing and treating illness early.”
For more information on the Rice Lake Area Free Clinic, to donate or volunteer, please visit http://rlafc.org/ or call 715-736-3733.
