Introduction to Arbor Free Clinic
Arbor Free Clinic provides basic health care services
at no charge to underserved populations in the South Bay area and fosters
the clinical development of current and future medical students. Arbor
is comprised of volunteer physicians, students, and translators and receives
funding from private contributions and from the Office of Student Services
at Stanford Medical School.
Arbor was founded in1990, the result of a Medical Scholar's research proposal
to establish a volunteer clinic that would address unmet health care needs
in the Stanford vicinity. From the beginning Arbor has been organized
and operated by Stanford Medical School students under faculty guidance.
Originally housed within the Palo Alto Red Cross office, Arbor quickly
outgrew those quarters and moved to its present location at the Menlo
Park VA in 1994. The Clinic operates every Sunday, typically handling
a caseload of 20-25 patients.
Arbor fills a critical local niche, providing acute care to underserved
or uninsured patients whose only alternative is often a hospital emergency
room. In addition to acute care services, Arbor offers a broad array of
on-site preventative health services including diagnostic tests and physical
exams. The success stories take many forms, from catching early stage
glaucoma before irreversible eye damage occurs to completing the health
forms necessary for participation in community activities or youth sports.
Although budget limitations present a continual challenge, Arbor has been
able to leverage its resources by building relationships with community
health care providers and by developing voucher programs with local pharmacies
and optical shops. Additionally, through a combination of referrals and
patient advocacy, Arbor staff serve as patient advocates and help patients
to navigate the complex web of social services and community health clinics
that offer them the most likely chance at continuing primary care.
Arbor complements its on-site activities with a variety of outreach programs
including health screenings and health awareness campaigns. Recent efforts
have targeted diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, conditions
in which early medical intervention can help prevent serious and irreversible
health damage down the road.
For all of its growth and success, the reality is that every week Arbor
turns away patients. The Clinic is always looking to expand its staff
of physicians and volunteers as well as to increase its funding sources.
If you would like to learn more about Arbor Clinic or opportunities to
support our mission, please visit these links:
