Family Medicine Cares

Launched in 2011, this humanitarian program is helping to establish new free clinics to care for the uninsured in areas of need across the U.S. Grants are provided to new clinics for the purchase of tangible items— such as exam tables, EHR systems and medical equipment— needed to open their doors. Family Medicine Cares also gives AAFP members, residents and students the opportunity to volunteer their time and talents.

Family Medicine Cares is designed to bring us together to help address this overwhelming need and to bring visibility to the caring nature and importance of Family Medicine.

Why Free Clinics?
There are over 50 million uninsured people in the United States. Existing free clinics have seen a dramatic increase in patients (up to 50% in the last year) with the majority of these patients coming from working households. The need far exceeds existing capacity, and some areas have no free clinic access at all. Even with the eventual roll-out of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, there will always be an underserved population— men, women and children who simply fall through the cracks.

The AAFP Foundation will not directly start and maintain new clinics but is collaborating with a non-profit organization, Volunteers In Medicine (VIM). VIM has a tested model for developing sustainable, locally supported free clinics. Since the mid-1990s, VIM has helped establish 86 free clinics and all but two are still serving the needs of their communities. VIM is helping the AAFP Foundation identify strong potential clinic groups and will continue in its current role of providing expertise and guidance to developing clinic groups.