A Proven and Documented Need

The HelpCare Clinic was formed in response to a group of physicians who approached Buffalo County Community Partners to assess the need for this type of clinic in our community.

Our Timeline

Buffalo County Community Partners (BCCP) began to assess the need for this type of clinic in our community.

The Community Access Network (CAN) Team was formed to build our inclusive and innovative infrastructure.

ECHO Clinics provided necessary consultation to help us establish a clinic in our community.

HelpCare Clinic opened it’s doors to patients in May of 2015.

CAN Team

The Community Access Network (CAN) Team was formed. The team consisted of representatives from:

  • Medical and behavioral healthcare
  • Education
  • City government
  • Social services
  • Faith organizations

The group built an infrastructure that is inclusive of key stakeholders and innovative in utilizing assets through Buffalo, Kearney and Phelps counties.

CAN determined it was important to the strength and vibrancy of our community to create a safety net healthcare system to care for the needs of the uninsured in Buffalo, Kearney and Phelps counties—with the potential to impact 1,000 residents.

Buffalo County Community Partners conducted research that confirmed this need for a free and charitable clinic. 2010 Census data reports an estimated 5763 persons of all ages in Buffalo County (12.5%) and 715 persons in Kearney county (11%) are uninsured. While the Affordable Care Act allowed for some to become insured, there is still a large population that is uninsured.

ECHO Clinics

ECHO Clinics is a non-profit organization that provides free consultation to help establish free and charitable clinics. ECHO Clinics was contacted by CAN, and they agreed to assist in establishing HelpCare Clinic. ECHO provided a consultant in January of 2014. The first staff member—Linda Muhlbach, executive director—was hired in May 2014.

Opening the Doors

The efforts of CAN, and their partnership with ECHO led the HelpCare Clinic to open its doors to patients in May of 2015. The clinic has served over 1,000 unique patients providing care two mornings and one evening each week with a large number of medical volunteers.

HelpCare is powered by over 200 volunteers who’ve collectively contributed over 6,500 hours of their time to uninsured, impoverished patients in Buffalo, Kearney and Phelps counties. The clinic is led by a board of directors including fifteen community leaders, as well as three paid staff.

Be a Local Missionary

Get involved with HelpCare today!

Volunteer!

We have a variety of volunteer opportunities for people with or without a medical background. Come help us out during clinic hours - checking patients in, keeping the clinic organized, and seeing patients. We also have volunteer opportunities in the office all week long.

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Donate!

Our free clinic runs on support from generous community members. Both financial and in-kind donations are incredibly helpful to help us keep serving our patients. We're a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, so your donation is tax-deductible.

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Refer!
We provide free medical care to the uninsured, impoverished residents of Buffalo, Kearney and Phelps counties. We have a few qualifying questions for our patients. If you know someone who meets our qualifiers and needs medical care, send them our way!

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