For the Long Run

Left: Members of HealthReach Community Clinic’s Board of Directors and medical and adminstrative staff.

Below: Mooresville Mayor Miles Atkins, who serves on the clinic’s Board of Directors, and Executive Director Dr. Sabrina Niggel.

Reaching Out for Health by Grace Kennedy Photography by Jamie Cowles

Iredell County’s only free medical clinic serves thousands of patients each year

One in seven working adults in Iredell County lacks health insurance. That means they must pay out of pocket for routine health care, avoid it altogether, or go to the emergency room. Fortunately, there is another option.

Operating for more than 17 years, HealthReach Community Clinic is the only free medical clinic in Iredell County. The clinic provides primary care and mental health services, pharmacy, lab services, nursing consultations, social work visits, health screenings and more, all at no cost to uninsured Iredell County residents who fall below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level.

“People who are out of work or struggling with low-paying jobs should not have to choose between food and medicine, or between keeping the lights on and keeping a doctor’s appointment,” says HealthReach Community Clinic Executive Director Sabrina Jones Niggel, Ph.D.

Operating a free medical clinic requires an immense amount of generosity and volunteerism from the community. As a nonprofit, HealthReach must raise funds each year to cover all expenses, including supplies, medications, equipment, and facility costs. “We operate with an extremely lean budget, relying primarily on volunteers to provide services and relying on community and corporate partners to donate supplies and equipment,” says Dr. Niggel. volunteer nurses who received the 2020 Governor’s Medallion Award for Volunteer Service. Cheryl Bernhardt, Claudia Moody, Molly Meusburger, Sharon Hemric, Sophia Pine, Frankie Sue Coleman and Jennifer Al-Hussaini were instrumental in the more than 4,000 medical appointments provided in 2019. This was the second consecutive year HealthReach volunteers received the award, which recognizes the top 20-25 volunteers in the state each year. Bill and Mary Hurt received the award in 2019.

HealthReach partners with organizations of all sizes to provide quality patient care. “Our services would not be possible without the partnership of Lake Norman Regional Medical Center, Iredell Health System and so many other clinical, faith, civic, and community partners who are committed to serving our neighbors in need,” says Dr. Niggel.

The clinic is always looking for specialty care providers like dentists, oral surgeons, endocrinologists and dermatologists to provide referred patients with free or low-cost care. COVID-19 restrictions have limited the clinic’s in-person volunteering, but they always appreciate help spreading awareness of services, as well as fundraising and supply drives. Contact Dr. Niggel at SabrinaN@healthreachclinic.org or 704.663.1992, ext. 5 to learn more about how you can help keep our community healthy.

HealthReach Community Clinic

400 East Statesville Ave – Suite 300, Mooresville 704.663.1992 www.healthreachclinic.org