By Leilani Haywood
Tribune Reporter

New Springs Community Church in Lee’s Summit has a free medical clinic open every third Sunday of the month from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The clinic was the brainchild of Dr. Laura Voss, a member of New Springs Community Church at 800 NE Independence Avenue. The clinic opened in September 2017 and has served 30 to 35 patients per month says Corey McDonald, pastor of New Springs Community Church.

“Dr. Laura Voss, a member of our church, has a desire to give back and a vision of a free medical clinic, she asked if the church would be interested in offering a free clinic to the community,” says McDonald. “I thought it was a great idea the matched the mission of our church to be a missional church focused on the outside of the walls of the church (our community) rather than focusing on programs and ministries. So we started the process of setting up a permanent clinic inside of our church.”

The clinic offers general family care, which is “no different than going to your primary care doctor’s office,” said McDonald. The clinic doesn’t limit services to Lee’s Summit residents. “We care deeply about the community that surrounds us but we also know that there is need outside of our city limits so we decided to offer our services to any and everyone that needs medical care,” he said.
Voss has been a family physician for 20 years. Her work at the Sojourners Clinic with the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) served as model for the church’s clinic. She has served as an assistant professor of Community and Family Medicine with UMKC and worked in private practice.

The clinic is funded by the church, donations and grants. “The clinic is primarily funded through our church but we have received a grant from the Lee’s Summit Healthcare Foundation, St. Luke’s East Hospital, Lee’s Summit Hospital,” said McDonald. “We have also received multiple donations of medical supplies and equipment from our community.”

McDonald added, “Every caregiver is a volunteer, there’s no red tape or bait and switch, our services are completely free to the patient. It’s important to us that the patient has a great experience and that they receive quality care in a great environment. We also offer child care for those who need it while seeing the doctor. We carry all necessary insurances and each volunteer goes through background checks and has to maintain up to date licenses.”

Patients do not have to provide proof of income and the clinic plans to offer tobacco cessation counseling with free nicotine replacement products and diabetic education. The clinic’s mission is “to serve the community by providing free medical care to families in need,” according to its website. “Our purpose is to serve those in need who lack insurance or those with insurance who cannot afford out of pocket expenses. Our objective is to provide basic primary care to all ages with a volunteer staff including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, therapists and social services.”

For more information about the clinic, visit NewSpringsClinic.org online or call 816-246-7474.

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