Free clinic reports rising visits, expands dental and pharmacy services amid staffing and funding worries

The Charlottesville Free Clinic reported to the Charlottesville City Council on Sept. 15, 2025, that it has expanded dental capacity and specialty services while continuing to serve the working uninsured and underinsured in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. The clinic said it provided just over 9,000 visits between its medical and dental clinics in the last year and expects demand to grow if insurance affordability worsens. The clinic’s executive director said the organization’s work fills gaps in local health care access. Willa Barnhart, executive director of the Charlottesville Free Clinic, told councilors the clinic’s recent strategic goal was to increase patient volume and integrate medical and dental services. Barnhart said the clinic built a new dental suite that increased treatment rooms from four to six and eased patient navigation between medical and dental care. She said the clinic…