by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
After seeing his project stall for about nine months, Dr. Jim Burt is finally starting to see serious progress on his Volunteers in Medicine Jacksonville clinic. The building at the corner of Ocean and Duval is owned by the Salvation Army, but on Sept. 2 Burt and dozens of other proud retired physicians and nurses will open the doors to Jacksonville’s first free, walk-in medical clinic.
Last summer, Burt and the rest of his totally volunteer staff began leasing the building with hopes of opening early this year. A sketchy economy and the impending war with Iraq put the financial squeeze on everyone and forced Burt and his 11-member board to postpone the opening date.
“We started this project about 18 months ago and based it on working with the downtown churches. The Salvation Army is leasing the building to us on a long term basis for a dollar a year in lieu of our improvements to the building. It’s a good deal,” explained Burt, adding the decision to delay the opening was unanimous. “The board and I felt it was smart to not open until all the renovations had been paid for and the first year’s operating expenses were in the bank or promised. With the war and the economy, it would not have been very responsible to use donated funds.”
With the exterior done, the interior is being finished. The walls have been framed and within the next couple of months drywall will go up, everything will get coat of paint, equipment will be brought in and Burt will flip the sign to “Open.”
From day one, the clinic will offer free, basic health care to those who have jobs and no medical coverage. But, there are parameters; the clinic isn’t a freebie to everyone.
“We will offer our service to working people making between $12,200 and $21,000 a year who have no insurance,” said Burt, a retired urologist who grew up in Jacksonville. “If they do not have a job, we will refer them to the appropriate people.”
In addition to overseeing the renovations to the old Paulus Music Co. building (which, by the way, is being done either by volunteers or people making well-below their usual fees), Burt is busy assuring the clinic is never short of medical staff. Although he plans to hire a couple of full-time employees, Burt is counting on the retired and working medical community to donate their time.
“I have about 80 professionals lined up; about 25 doctors and 60 nurses,” he said. “I’d like to have a list of about 45 physicians and be open five days a week and offer some Saturday hours. I’m working on various sources for medication at a reduced rate or free. The medication will be generic, of course, not the boutique medication. We can’t afford that. A free clinic is no good if you can’t get any medication.”
The clinic will offer basic medical services, but nothing that would require serious treatment. Burt said he’d like to have an X-ray machine, and he could probably find someone to donate one. However, they are difficult to move and they have to be permitted.
“But,” he said, “we will have someone who can read film.”
Although much of the needed equipment has been donated by private physicians and St. Vincent’s Hospital, Burt is always looking and always willing to accept donations. More than anything — knowing patients won’t be an issue — he hopes the clinic never runs out of help. And, he thinks he’s got that covered.
“I have the word of Robert Walters, the CEO at Mayo Clinic, that he will pass the word among his staff,” said Burt. “I have also talked to the county medical society and the county health officer, Dr. Jeffrey Goldhagen, is on our board.”
Retired nurse Dottie Dorian is also on the VIM board and she said one of the keys to the clinic’s success — and that of the 33 others across the country — is to incorporate the younger generation of doctors and nurses. They don’t want, or need, a lot of their time right now. Burt and Dorian just want to make sure the clinic is in capable hands for many years to come.
“We want active doctors and nurses now,” said Dorian. “We want to cultivate the clinic for them.”
“I’m excited about it,” said Burt. “I hope it goes gangbusters. We need volunteers to donate money and equipment. We will focus on the 40,000 people in this community that have low-paying jobs and no insurance or a preexisting disease they can’t get coverage for. Our goal is to provide a quality clinic and quality care.”