Frequently Asked Questions
What is the New Life Volunteering Society?The New Life Volunteering Society (NLVS) is a national and secular non-profit service organization developed at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1999. In October 2003, students from Loyola University, Northwestern University, Rosalind Franklin University, Rush Medical College, University of Chicago, and University of Illinois at Chicago helped develop the first-ever student-run free clinic in West Ridge, Chicago, where the population lives 200% below the poverty line. Currently, students from all medical schools are provided with an equal opportunity to engage in collaborative service of the uninsured community. ˆ top What services does NLVS provide?The clinic currently functions to accomplish three basic tasks:
ˆ top Where is the NLVS free health clinic located?Click here for map & directions. ˆ top What are the hours/days of operation?Clinics are held on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and are staffed by volunteer attending physicians, nurses, phlebotomists, pharmacists, health educators, translators, and medical students. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. ˆ top How is the NLVS free health clinic operated?While Saturday clinics are organized, run, and staffed primarily by NLVS medical students and volunteer physicians, Sunday clinics are run primarily by IAMACF volunteer physicians. On average, 25-30 patients are seen each session. ˆ top What kind of services can a patient expect to find?The clinic provides the following services: routine blood tests (complete blood count, basic and comprehensive metabolic panels, fasting lipid profile, hemoglobin A1C, thyroid function test, and liver function test), urinalysis, 12-lead EKG, and general physical exams. Monthly cardiology and dermatology clinics have recently been added. X-rays and ultrasound are offered through collaboration with Swedish Covenant Hospital. The clinic also provides some free medications to treat allergies, infections, diabetes, hypertension, hypothyroidism, urinary tract infections, joint pain, gastritis, GERD, and dyslipidemias. Patients requiring further medical attention are referred to the Cook County Bureau of Health Services, which offers free health care to all residents. With over 5000 visits till date, NLVS plays a proactive role in the care of its uninsured patient population. ˆ top Who is eligible for free health care?Patients seeking health care at our clinic qualify for free health care if they do not currently own a health insurance policy, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or circumstance. While a thorough background check is not performed on every patient that visits clinic, we run a service based on goodwill. Therefore, if you are capable of affording healthcare, please refrain from using our free services that can be placed in the betterment of an individual in greater need. ˆ top How long do appointments last, including waiting time?The length of time a visit takes is dependant on several factors, including the reason for visitation, number of volunteering physicians, number of volunteering medical students and staff members, number of clinic coordinators, and number of patients waiting to be seen. Our aim is to limit visitation times to within 60 minutes of arrival to clinic. That said, longer visitation times are experienced when we are limited by fewer volunteering physicians or a greater number of complex medical ailments being seen on a given day. ˆ top How many patients are seen per week?An average of 40-50 visits are conducted over a given weekend, with usually an equal number of patient visits seen on either day. As more resources become available and clinic expands, we hope to expand on this number. Currently, we are limiting patient visits to 20-25 on a given day. ˆ top Can patients call in advance for appointments?We do not currently make appointments. Patients are seen on a first-come first-served basis. Because of the sheer necessity of healthcare in this community and the popularity of our services, we advise our patients to arrive by 8:00 a.m. to be seen. ˆ top |
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