Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Free Clinic of Powhatan serves residents from the counties of Powhatan, Chesterfield, Amelia and Cumberland. We need to expand our Clinic hours beyond the 15hrs/week we have currently. We have treated almost 1,500 patients since opening and we continue to register one or two new patients weekly as well as recertify existing patients. The Virginia Atlas estimated that in 2013, 16% of Powhatan residents aged 19-64 were uninsured (2,929 people). The numbers will be higher as a result of the pandemic. This figure validates why more clinic hours are needed. Half of our patients are employed or retired. They are the working poor or the elderly living on fixed social security payments in an environment of rising health care costs. Many of our patients continue to struggle financially and lead stressful lives. The most frequent diagnoses are depression/anxiety, hypertension, post-traumatic stress disorder, diabetes, and dental issues.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
General Medical, Mental & Dental Services
Until 2007, Powhatan was one of the only counties of its population in Virginia that had no safety net provider of free medical services to low-income, uninsured people. Through volunteer efforts that same year, the Free Clinic of Powhatan opened in a mobile facility at the Powhatan Fairgrounds.Pre-pandemic, nearly half of our patients were employed or retired. They are the working poor or the elderly living on fixed social security payments in an environment of rising health care costs. Many of our patients continue to struggle financially and lead stressful lives. Recently, many of the employed have now lost their incomes. Although Medicaid expansion occurred, not all uninsured patients are eligible for Medicaid. The threshold of eligibility leaves out the working poor and many others. There are many people who make more than the allowed salary but not enough to make ends meet. Some of our patients do not qualify for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or if they do, may be unable to afford the premiums, co-pays, or deductibles.
The most frequent diagnoses are depression/anxiety, hypertension, post-traumatic stress, diabetes, dental and vision problems. In 2010, we began a partnership with Access Now, a program established by the Richmond Academy of Medicine to link patients in need with donated specialty physician services. This enables our Clinic to connect patients with the proper specialists and prescribe them the life-changing and life-saving medications they need.
In 2010, we also started our women’s health program. We then began a partnership with Goochland Cares and VCU to expand the dental program to include fillings, extractions, and dentures, with the Free Clinic of Powhatan reimbursing Goochland Cares. Unfortunately, our dental needs have grown, and Goochland Cares is no longer able to serve our patients.
We expanded our service area to include eligible residents in Amelia, Chesterfield, and Cumberland counties, which are counties that surround Powhatan and do not have free clinics. (Chesterfield did have a program, but it closed several years ago). We also created a counseling program with Powhatan High School for which we provide a psychiatrist and counselor at the school. We are the only free clinic in the Richmond area to provide such help in a high school and we are particularly proud to have kept this program going through the pandemic. This very successful program will be replicated in other county schools.Our patients see the Clinic as their medical home. We encourage them to see us for annual check-ups, medication monitoring, and lab tests. Many of our patients return to work or are able to work more hours. They can buy groceries again, pay their taxes, and contribute to our economy in other ways.
Without regular health care, patients become sicker and their care becomes more costly. The chance of a negative outcome is higher. What might have been a routine visit to the Clinic can becomes a visit to an emergency room, the most expensive place to seek treatment. Lack of regular health care may create a community health hazard or increase overall health care costs to taxpayers.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
ConnectRichmond 2009
ConnectSouthside 2009
RX Partnership 2009
Virginia Association of Free Clinics 2009
United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg Partnership Agency 2009
External reviews

Our Sustainable Development Goals
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Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The Free Clinic of Powhatan must:
• expand our Clinic hours
• establish our dental clinic
• increase medical staffing
• increase mental health outreach in Powhatan High School and Middle School
• create a waiting area with space where everyone can be seated
• registration desk out of earshot of other waiting patients
• salary expenses for new staff (e.g. mental health counselors, dental hygienist, dental assistant, front desk receptionist)
• purchase of new computers/office equipment
• installation of an Electronic Health Records system
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We embarked on a Comprehensive Campaign to address these issues. To date, we have raised $1.7 million towards our $2 million goal. Although we are grateful to have the Powhatan Health Department space for 15 hours a week, it no longer meets our needs. Fortunately, the County of Powhatan offered us 3200 square feet in the vacated School Board Building. The County, long a generous partner of the Free Clinic, will not charge us rent nor fees for public utilities. Moreover, the County will maintain the exterior of the building, the parking lot, and grounds.
The Clinic renovations are complete. Volunteers are assembling furniture, moving equipment and refiling records. We will officially open in February, 2021.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The Clinic has a plan to sustain these additional expenses connected with your expansion of services, which includes the following:
• Our fundraising success is proven. Our list of donors and partners has grown, and continues to grow, as our menu of services has grown.
• The County of Powhatan will cover our costs for public utilities; for maintaining the exterior of the building, grounds, and parking lot; and for cleaning our Clinic.
• Stable funding from the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, of which the Free Clinic of Powhatan is a member, should increase as our patient load increases.
• Our in-kind contributions, which account for 65% of our operating budget, are expected to increase as our patient load increases.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Although we are grateful to have the Powhatan Health Department space for 15 hours a week, it no longer meets our needs. Fortunately, the County of Powhatan offered us 3200 square feet in the vacated School Board Building. The County, long a generous partner of the Free Clinic, will not charge us rent nor fees for public utilities. Moreover, the County will maintain the exterior of the building, the parking lot, and grounds. The Public Works Department and the Powhatan IT Services Division will occupy the other part of the building.
This new space and other campaign funding will allow us to:
• expand our Clinic hours
• establish our dental clinic
• increase medical staffing
• increase mental health outreach in Powhatan High School and Middle School
• create a waiting area with space where everyone can be seated
• registration desk out of earshot of other waiting patients
• provide additional salary expenses for existing staff as the Clinic’s hours will increase
• salary expenses for new staff (e.g. mental health counselors, dental hygienist, dental assistant, front desk receptionist)
• purchase of new computers/office equipment
• installation of an Electronic Health Records system
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Free Clinic of Powhatan
Board of directorsas of 5/25/2022
Ms. Karla Curtis
India Cox
Professional Grant Writer
Connie Moslow
Community Activist
Sr. Elena Henderson
Belmead Francis Emma
Tim Benusa
CPA
Karla Curtis
Business Executive
Bryan Stevens
Minister
Demetrius Venable, PhD
Professor
Barbara Brown
Community Volunteer
Sheila Gunst
Design Consultant
Tonya Parris-Wilkins
Dentist
Will Perkinson
Dentist
Ned Smither
County Administrator
Robb Stallworth
Market Director, Humana
Organizational demographics
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Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
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Disability
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