Health clinic in danger of closing

SANDPOINT — A local health clinic for low-income residents must raise $6,000 or risk going out of business.

Rising unemployment, fewer donations and more competition for limited grant money have pushed the Bonner Partners in Care Clinic dangerously close to going under, according to clinic director Catherine Perusse. The clinic, which provides medical services to more than 550 residents each year, relies primarily on grants and donations to cover operating costs.

Perusse said obtaining adequate funding has become more and more difficult as the economy has worsened.

“We’re totally supported by grants and donations, because we’re a free clinic,” she said. “A dollar per patient isn’t going to pay for much of any kind of treatment. Everything has gone down. Our donations have gone down and the availability of grants have been dramatically curtailed across the board.”

Almost two-thirds of the clinic’s patients are employed, but most are not able to afford the full cost of health care for themselves or their families, Perusse said. Patients pay a fee based on their income and family size, and no one is refused treatment based on inability to pay.

The walk-in clinic is open during evenings in space donated by Panhandle Health District.

A staff of volunteer physicians, nurses, and clerical staff offers medical examinations, follow-up care, referrals to specialists, and prescription services. By partnering with Bonner General Hospital, Sandpoint Super Drug, and national pharmaceutical companies, the clinic is able to provide discounted lab testing, diagnostic tests, and medications.

An anonymous foundation hasa agreed to contribute as much as $54,000 to the clinic via a nine-to-one matching grant, which means the foundation will give $9 for every $1 donation. According to a clinic press release, the money needs to be raised within the next several weeks.

Perusse said $60,000 would be enough to keep the clinic in business for more than a year. In that time, clinic officials will search out more grants and plan a fundraiser.

Without the money, Perusse said the clinic will likely cease operations by the end of the year, putting hundreds of residents at risk of either not receiving necessary medical care or having the medical and emergency room costs provided by indigent care funds, which come from property taxes.

For more information about the clinic or to donate funds, call Perusse at 255-9099 or send checks to Bonner Partners in Care Clinic at 1020 Michigan St. in Sandpoint.