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Published: Tuesday, Sep. 16, 2008 / Updated: Wednesday, Sep. 17, 2008 10:44 AM

Free health care for kids available

Clinic is open Wednesdays in downtown Fort Mill

Eight years ago, Dr. Martha Edwards joined a group of community leaders for a tour of York County to survey the services available to the public.

"There were a lot of services, but people didn't know about them," Edwards says. "So everyone brainstormed, and we thought it would be smart to have just a few centers with lots of resources at each."

The result was four Family Resource Centers, including one in Fort Mill. The others are in Rock Hill, Clover and York and each one based out of a school district building.

Edwards is a pediatrician at the Fort Mill office of Rock Hill Pediatrics, but she shares her expertise in children's health as a volunteer at the Rock Hill Family Resource Center Free Medical Clinic.

"The purpose of the clinic is to help improve child health in this area," Edwards says, explaining that children with little or no health insurance can be brought in for care, including low-cost medication.

Other services at the centers include parent education and literacy programs that help parents earn their GED, improve reading skills, learn English as a second language and acquire parenting skills in a welcoming setting. There are free lending libraries with books on parenting, programs that connect parents of children with disabilities and foreign language interpreters.

"The centers provide a safety net to families so they can get to a point where they can help themselves," she says.

For the children, being in good health improves their chances of success at school and in life.

"These kids at school often feel terrible, and the last thing they want to do is be learning," says Edwards. "Poor health is disruptive and makes it hard for the student and the whole class to learn."

Edwards is quick to mention how much teamwork is involved with Dr. Sue Start and Dr. Butch Bonham, who volunteer at all the centers, and the school nurses, teachers and guidance counselors who call the clinics when they notice a student in need of care.

"They do so much and go so above and beyond," she says.

Most days, Edwards sees about 10 children in the single exam room, and during flu season that number rises to as high as 20.

"The challenge is really to get treatment for people when they don't have money, transportation or English [skills]. It forces us to be creative," Edwards says.

One solution has been to use a van funded by the Junior Welfare League to pick up patients who cannot drive. Edwards also arranges for pro bono visits when referrals are needed and payment plans for pricey medications.

The Early Learning Partnership of York County oversees the clinics, writes grant proposals and manages donations. The Sisters of Mary Foundation of North Carolina, Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of South Carolina and Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina all help with funding.

"There is no budget for a prescription drug fund, although there is a need for one," says Donna Wooldridge, executive director of the Early Learning Partnership.

"It is driven on donations, and we have a grant for prescriptions from CVS, but it is only a drop in the bucket."

The three volunteer doctors are what make this venture possible.

"They've been with us since the very beginning, every week since 2002, and I don't know what we would do without them," Wooldridge says. "They're a blessing."

In addition to donations for the prescription drug fund, Wooldridge is looking for pediatricians or general practitioners who could work one day every month or two and offer some flexibility to the weekly volunteers.

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