About St. Clare Health Mission
In 1993, St. Clare Health Mission was started by Sister LeClare Beres, a FSPA contemporary of Saint Francis. She renounced all of her possessions, even giving away her shoes, as she devoted her life to the care of the poor. Partaking in her vision, representatives of health and social service organizations throughout our community began a collaborative effort to address health care access for the poor and uninsured.
Through St. Clare Health Mission, volunteer healthcare providers joined together to provide free healthcare to those who had gone without due to a lack of financial resources. The term “health mission” describes not only the program, but the motivation which guides it. Through the years, volunteers have served over 18,000 people in over 80,000 visits to our clinic, and ever increasingly, on our new Rotary Mobile Clinic.
Our Mission Statement
Vision: Everyone in our community has access to needed medical care.
Mission:
- Create access to health care for those who would otherwise find such services economically inaccessible.
- Create opportunities for medical providers to enjoy the intrinsic rewards associated with volunteer service.
- Create opportunities for students in healthcare to understand the impact that poverty has on health and well-being.
Organizational Values:
- We strive to provide the highest standard of healthcare to our patients.
- We commit to use and manage our resources wisely.
- We aim to be good collaborative partners and teammates within the area healthcare systems.
- We respect, acknowledge, and appreciate the important contributions made by our volunteers and donors.
- We strive not to duplicate services available elsewhere.
- We will work to respond to evolving community healthcare needs, as resources are available.
Values and Guiding Principles
Those participating in this initiative share a belief that all individuals, regardless of financial status, are deserving of basic health care, and that all share in the benefit of that care.