by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
When The Salvation Army’s Northeast Florida Area Command bought the old Paulus Music Co. building at the corner of Ocean and Duval streets, the organization had grandiose plans for the site.
Already in possession of the adjacent property with a gym and senior citizen center, original plans called for a technical resource center for area youths with plenty of computers and knowledgeable tutors donating their time. Once it was revealed that the new main library, located just a couple of blocks away, would have very similar capabilities, that plan was scrapped.
“When we found out the library would be heavily vested with computers, we began to think again,” said Major Wayne McHargue, area commander of The Salvation Army. “Plus, we didn’t have the money.”
Today, there are new plans for the two-story building and you don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to deduce what’s in the works, especially with Barrett Bayer working on a simple, yet classy medical clinic mural on the outside of the building. Together with Volunteers in Medicine, McHargue is working hard toward establishing downtown’s — and Jacksonville’s — first free walk-in medical clinic. With a goal of opening by early next year, McHargue and the board of VIM will spend the next few months raising funds for the facility and spreading the word about the free clinic.
“It’s a new organization of retired physicians and nurses to serve the under served in the community with no medical coverage,” said McHargue, adding that such a facility fits in well with what The Salvation Army stands for and is striving to accomplish downtown.
One thing that won’t prove difficult is luring doctors and nurses to donate their expertise and time to a good cause. According to Dr. Jim Burt, a retired urologist who serves as chairman of the VIM board, he’s well on the way to filling out the volunteer medical staff.
“I have had no problem with asking people to help and I’ve had plenty of people call to ask if they can work,” said Burt, who grew up in Jacksonville and retired after 27 years. “I guess one of the questions to me would be, Why do you want to do this? When I retired I wasn’t ready to retire completely. I wanted to give something back to the community.”
Both McHargue and Burt mentioned a similar facility in Hilton Head, S.C. as the impetus for downtown’s clinic.
“This is based on a medical facility in Hilton Head that was established 12 years ago,” said McHargue. “There are 40 in the country and two others in Florida, in Tampa and Lakeland. We visited those in our organizational stages and we think it will go over well. Over 40,000 people are not covered by medical insurance in this county.”
Once open, the free clinic will offer mostly basic services at first and perhaps expand at a later date. Treatment for colds, cuts and other basic illnesses and injuries will be available.
“We will not have X-ray capabilities initially,” said Burt. “Maybe that’s something that we will cover once we get started and staffed. We will farm that out and then look to either purchase that equipment or have those facilities donate their time and equipment. Most of them are very generous with their time and facility.”
Local churches are also getting in on the project. First United Methodist, First Presbyterian, Immaculate Conception Catholic and St. Johns Cathedral — all within a short walk of the clinic — are working together to make the clinic a reality.
Staff-wise, Burt thinks the clinic will be able to function on a daily basis with two or three physicians on hand and appropriate support staff. Each doctor, he says, will need two or three nurses and the rest of the staff will be composed of compensated support staff such as greeters and administrative personnel.
McHargue said he can see the day when several similar clinics are scattered all over Jacksonville. For now, though, he’ll concentrate on the downtown facility.
“We’ll get this working then start thinking about replicating it somewhere else,” said McHargue. “The limiting factor is the number of doctors and nurses available.”