Defining a New Normal at Trinity Free Clinic

It seems like it has been more than six months since the COVID-19 crisis became part of our daily reality here in Central Indiana.  During those first few weeks, Trinity Free Clinic made the difficult choice to close temporarily to in-person visits while we worked to update our safety protocols to ensure the well-being of our patients, volunteers, and staff.  Although we weren’t able to treat patients in person, our front office staff made personal phone calls to hundreds of patients, checking in on them to make sure that they were well.  We also continued filling existing prescriptions so that none of our patients would find themselves without the medications they rely on.

In May, Trinity Free Clinic rolled out a plan for a tiered reopening strategy, focusing on helping children get the check-ups and vaccinations that they would need to start school in the fall, as well as trying out new strategies for treating our patients through telemedicine.  After initial success with hypertension patients, our telemedicine visits expanded to include urgent medical care. 

Generous grants from several donors allowed us to purchase Isovac dental isolation systems that allowed Trinity Free Clinic to resume dental services.  Isovacs permit us to treat dental patients while keeping the possible exposure to COVID-19 through exhaled droplets to a minimum.  This has allowed our dental services to return to our full service offering, and we have been able to treat the entire backlog of patients from the quarantine period.

Finally, we are grateful to have been able to resume both women’s health care and vision screenings.  Because asthma symptoms so closely mimic COVID-19 symptoms, we are holding off on working with new asthma patients until the COVID-19 threat is diminished.

What’s next at Trinity Free Clinic?

Just like everyone else, we are anxiously waiting and hoping for a vaccine for COVID-19.  Aside from working to serve at our pre-pandemic capacity, Trinity Free Clinic will also become a COVID-19 testing site offering free testing on evenings and Saturday afternoon by mid-Sepmber. Trinity Free Clinic is also planning to become a public vaccination site when a vaccine finally becomes available.

According to Trinity Free Clinic Executive Director, Mel Wischmeyer, “It’s a privilege to be able to serve the community by offering coronavirus testing and vaccines. We have always made serving Hamilton County families our top priority. Screening patients for coronavirus is the first step to giving people peace of mind and getting them the care they need. We feel like it’s crucial that we play our part to help our community stay safe during this crisis.”

How can you get involved?

Some of Trinity Free Clinic’s most dedicated volunteers are retired and part of the aging population that is most at risk for contracting and suffering from the COVID-19 virus.  However, many of our medical and dental providers have seen changes in their schedules.  If you find your schedule has opened so that you have new availability to join us as a volunteer, we need you!  We are looking for nurses, dental assistants, and dental x-ray techs, especially between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. 

We also have a special need for Spanish interpreters, medical clerks, and COVID-19 screeners.  We will provide all necessary training for these clerical roles.  If you are available to make a difference, please visit our Volunteer page to get started.

Keeping our patients and volunteers safe is our first priority at Trinity Free Clinic.  We have invested in the HEPA air filters, PPE, and other equipment that will allow us to serve our patients in a safe environment while minimizing risk.  Unfortunately, these investments have come at a steep cost that was not in our budget for the year.  Many Hamilton County families are also finding themselves unemployed and uninsured for the first time this year, and as we move into the flu season, we expect more patients than ever before to need the kind of care that Trinity Free Clinic has been providing for the past twenty years.  Please consider a tax-deductible charitable gift to allow us to continue offering free medical, dental, and vision care to families now, when they need it the most.

Trinity Free Clinic has always been a labor of love supported by a strong base of loyal volunteers and civic-minded organizations that have generously supported our mission.  As we look forward to the challenges that are still ahead for our community, you are the key to our success.