Two Greenway summer events alone raise nearly $19,000 to advance delivery of area health services
Temple, Georgia — October 29, 2015 — Some people might think that with greater access to health insurance through the Affordable Care Act — which many people call “Obamacare” — there would be a lesser need for free and low-cost health and dental services. That’s simply not the case, reports Lucy Beck, executive director of the Rapha Clinic of West Georgia. The clinic continues to expand the number of people it serves from its two locations in Temple and Bowdon, and the need for community support to fund those services has never been greater.
“While it’s wonderful that today more people have access to some level of health insurance, there are still many who simply cannot afford it — almost 20 percent of our area’s population,” Beck said. “We continue to provide a growing volume and scope of medical, dental and vision services to our neighbors in need. I take that as a compliment that Rapha’s services are being well-received, thanks to our service and financial donors.”
The Rapha Clinic is a non-profit, community faith-based clinic serving Carroll county and surrounding counties. At the core of its mission, the uninsured and underinsured can see a doctor at little to no cost. Rapha strives to provide quality care by carefully selecting a committed team of professionals, who treat each person with dignity, respect and commitment to improving overall health.
Greenway ‘Adoption’ Continues to Bear Fruit
For a number of years, it’s been the support of local individuals and organizations such as Carrollton-based health information solutions company Greenway Health that have helped the Rapha Clinic to continue to fulfill that mission.
“Greenway is absolutely committed to helping improve population health — one person and whole groups of people at a time,” said Eric Grunden, Rapha Clinic board chairman and vice president of professional services at Greenway Health. “In most cases, that involves helping our tens of thousands of healthcare provider customers across the country deliver high-quality care as effectively and efficiently as possible.
“But the Rapha Clinic and its noble mission to fill in healthcare gaps for the underserved really touched a chord with the Greenway team, and we continue to be extremely proud to have ‘adopted’ the clinic into our family and be among those who help make Rapha’s work possible,” he continued.
In addition to the ongoing service and financial support of Greenway Health and many members of its team, two Greenway-led events this summer raised close to $19,000 in direct support to Rapha Clinic of West Georgia. The first, a third-annual charity golf tournament held June 26, contributed nearly $6,400 to the clinic. Even more exciting was a recent event that involved hundreds of Greenway Health’s customers, partners and staff at the company’s largest annual event — the ENGAGE customer user conference, held this year in Dallas and attended by nearly 2,500 persons.
One of the event’s keynote presenters was motivational speaker and artist Erik Wahl. As part of his main-stage presentation, Wahl created three large paintings while the audience watched, transfixed with his talent, speed and empowering message. One went to an audience member, but two — vibrant pictures of the Statue of Liberty and Albert Einstein (the latter painted upside down!) — were put up for auction to support the Rapha Clinic. Thanks to Grunden’s “testimony” on the value of Rapha services and Wahl’s strong reception from the audience, by the end of the day the two paintings had raised a total of $12,500 for the clinic.
“I continue to be amazed by the desire of businesses and individuals alike to provide this kind of support. It is a true blessing to see God working in our community,” Beck stated.
Physicians and other caregivers, other service volunteers and financial donors are always welcome and needed. For information on how to support Rapha Clinic of West Georgia, contact the clinic at (770) 562-4501 or email [email protected].
About the Rapha Clinic of West Georgia
The Rapha Clinic of West Georgia (Rapha) is a faith-based charitable clinic providing free medical and low-cost dental care to community members who are at or below 200 percent of the poverty level. These individuals are uninsured or underinsured and unable to pay for medical and dental care. There are currently two clinic locations, Bowdon and Temple, serving Carroll County and the surrounding counties; approximately 20 percent of the population is without medical insurance – all needing the Rapha Clinic’s help. In 2014, the clinics served 526 individual medical patients with more than 2,600 patient visits and 248 individual dental patients. In partnership with local Lions Clubs and the Lions Lighthouse Foundation, 117 persons received vision services last year alone. For details, see http://raphaclinicwestga.org.
Radha Clinic of West Georgia Press Release
