Free clinic

From WikiMD.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Free Clinic

Free clinic (pronunciation: /friː klɪnɪk/) is a type of healthcare facility that provides medical, dental, and mental health services to individuals without charge. The concept of free clinics originated in the 1960s in the United States, during a time of social and political change.

Etymology

The term "free clinic" is derived from the English words "free", meaning without cost, and "clinic", a facility for outpatient medical care. The term was first used in the late 1960s to describe volunteer-based health clinics that provided services free of charge.

Description

Free clinics are typically non-profit, community-based organizations that provide care to uninsured, underinsured, and low-income individuals. They are often staffed by a mix of paid healthcare professionals and volunteers, including doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers. Services offered at free clinics can include primary care, preventive care, chronic disease management, mental health services, dental care, and more. Some free clinics also offer health education and outreach programs.

While free clinics do not charge for services, they often rely on donations, grants, and other forms of funding to operate. Many free clinics also work in partnership with other healthcare providers, hospitals, and community organizations to provide comprehensive care to their patients.

Related Terms

See Also

External links

Esculaap.svg

This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.


Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski