A press release from the St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) Free Clinic of Merrill announced it has closed its doors permanently effective Feb. 1, 2022.
“Since its inception in July 2004, the Free Clinic has provided medical care for hundreds of adults who were uninsured or underinsured in Lincoln County,” the release said. “The goal was to provide a health care safety net for people until they could access standard clinical care.”
In recent years, a source said, few people have been coming to or using the Free Clinic.
“With the Affordable Care Act, better benefits offered by employers in a tight labor market, and with improved access to Medicaid, the number of patients utilizing Free Clinic services has dropped significantly,” the release said.
“Although it was always hoped that there would be a time when Free Clinic services were no longer needed, it is still difficult to say goodbye to an organization that served patients and volunteers alike.”
The staff and Board of Directors of the SVDP Free Clinic want to express their appreciation to the community for its support over the last 17 years. They also want to thank the St. Vincent de Paul Conference, medical and office volunteers, donors, pharmacists, the Lincoln County Health Department, and Good Samaritan Hospital (now Aspirus Merrill Hospital), as well as many others who made the clinic possible throughout the years.
The Board of Directors; Sharon Karow, RN, SVDP Free Clinic Manager; and Kris Weisenfeld, SVDP Free Clinic Assistant Manager, urge those who have utilized the Free Clinic over the years to continue their medical care with a medical professional.
Please contact the Wausau Free Clinic or any other medical clinic of your choice and schedule an appointment for continuity of your medical care, they say. Former patients should contact Sue Norenberg of SVDP Outreach at 715.539.2666 for matters related to their medical records. As of March 1, 2022, all medical records from the SVDP Free Clinic of Merrill were transferred to the Wausau Free Clinic at 903 N Third St. in Wausau (715.869.4922).