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Helping Hand Clinic leaders urge Lee County to restore grant funding, warn of ER cost shifts
Summary
Leaders of the Helping Hand Clinic told commissioners that recent reductions in county grant support threaten the only free brick‑and‑mortar clinic serving uninsured Lee County residents and said cuts would likely increase emergency‑room use and community costs.
Leaders of Helping Hand Clinic urged the Lee County Board of Commissioners to reverse recent reductions in community grant funding, saying the clinic serves uninsured and underinsured residents who would otherwise rely on emergency departments.
Gwendolyn Lee Cooper, executive director, told the board that Helping Hand is "the only free brick and mortar clinic in this entire county" and described services the clinic provides at no cost, including chronic disease management, medication assistance and health education. Cooper said county grant support has declined (she cited a prior $2,500 award cut to $1,250 in recent years) and asked commissioners to consider the clinic’s unique role when allocating limited nonprofit funding.
Bill Huggins, identified as chair of the clinic’s board, described a reimbursable arrangement with the county in which the clinic must first spend funds and later apply for reimbursement. He said the clinic primarily uses county funding to support a nutrition program called "Food Fixes Things" and argued modest county support multiplies through volunteer services and hospital partnerships.
Helping Hand leaders and other speakers at the hearing said reduced support could increase uncompensated emergency‑room visits and place pressure on the hospital system and other public services. County staff and commissioners acknowledged nonprofit requests and noted budget constraints and competing priorities in the recommended plan.
