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Shepherd’s Hope relies on strong partnerships within the local community to ensure its services reach those most in need.
Shepherd’s Hope: Caring People, Caring For People It started with a walk on a south Florida beach. In the summer of 1996, Dr. William S. Barnes, then pastor of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Windermere, had a calling. That calling let him to create Shepherd’s Hope, a facility operated primarily by volunteers. Shepherd’s Hope provides uninsured individuals and families free access to healthcare. Patients eligible for services through Shepherd’s Hope have income at or below 200% of the poverty level, are uninsured and are not eligible for other governmentassisted health care programs. Today, Shepherd’s Hope operates five medical health centers in Orange and Seminole Counties. Shepherd’s Hope relies on strong partnerships within the local community to ensure its services reach those most in need. Each Health Center is the result of a
“None of us knows how to do all of it, but all of us know how to do some of it.” - Dr. William S. Barnes, Founder of Shepherd’s Hope
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Central Florida Lifestyle | February 2022
partnership between a faith, school or facility partner, specialty providers and hospitals. Volunteer physicians, nurses, other licensed health care professionals and general volunteers provide quality healthcare to men, women, and children who would otherwise go without the care they need. Continued Care During COVID-19. When the Covid-19 pandemic changed our lives, Health care needs and obstacles to that care increased. Thanks to the CARES Grant, Shepherd’s Hope was able to purchase two virtual Teledoc systems which continued their ability to “see” patients. The Teledoc systems not only allowed Shepherd’s Hope to see patients in a safe, virtual environment, but also connected each of the health centers reducing the amount of travel required by patients. Especially important to patients of Shepherd’s Hope Liver Clinic, the virtual system allows patients that are weak or susceptible to infection to continue critical doctor visits without compromising their health. For Shepherd’s Hope, volunteers are the foundation of compassionate
care. Physicians, nurses, and licensed health care providers have continued to donate their time and talent to those in need. Their non-clinical, general volunteers also continued to reach out and ask how they can assist with administrative tasks in the clinics. However, as the pandemic has lingered on, Shepherd’s Hope still is in need of new volunteers to replace those that have stepped back due to sickness or job changes. During the pandemic, Shepherd’s Hope also started construction on the HEAL Kitchen (–Healthy Eating Active Lifestyle) at their Winter Garden location. It is due to open in April of this year. Thanks to the partnership with St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, the HEAL Kitchen will be a place to promote positive lifestyle changes for residents. It will provide residents with access to food as a prescription; heart, diabetes, and obesity interventions; and educational cooking, nutrition and lifestyle classes and programs. The Grow It Forward Micro-Farm on the property is overflowing with tomatoes, green beans, and herbs. Weekly volunteers tend the garden and harvest the crops. The fresh produce is given to the patients to take home and enjoy.
