Vision Screenings
Viola Startzman Free Clinic has been given the opportunity to work with the Ohio Optometric Association and the Ohio Association of Free Clinics to pilot a new program. This program will provide vision screening for preschoolers (3-5 years old). Our hope is that vision problems can be detected and treated before permanent damage has occurred. Several local optometrists have agreed to see children that we refer to them for a free eye exam.
To inquire as to the next scheduled training or to reserve a spot, please call Jaime Parsons at the clinic (330-262-2500 extension 102). BACK TO TOP
Dental Services
The VSFC dental clinic offers appointments every Thursday, 8:30 to 5:00 and every other Friday afternoon, for routine care such as cleanings, fluoride treatments, x-rays and diagnostic examinations, fillings, root canals, oral cancer examinations, and oral hygiene education. Appointments are also available two evenings a month for extraction of unrestorable teeth. Patients are advised that they may need to wait up to three months for a dental appointment due to the high level of demand for these services.
Funding for the dental clinic, which is operated by a combination of staff and volunteer dental professionals, is made possible by generous grants from Austin-Bailey Health and Wellness Foundation, Crippled Children & Adults, Inc., CVS/Caremark, the Laura B. Frick Charitable Fund, and Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton. We are so grateful for their ongoing support of this important community resource. BACK TO TOP
Medical Services
 The VSFC is open every weekday. We operate three walk-in medical clinics (“clinics”) each week, on Monday and Thursday evenings and Wednesday mornings. For every clinic we rely on at least five volunteers: one or two medical providers (physicians, nurse practitioners or physician assistants), three nurses, and a clerk. In addition, we hold two dental clinics per month staffed by two dentist volunteers and two dental assistant volunteers. During any given week, 55-60 volunteers come to the clinic to give of their time and talents.
Even when the VSFC is not operating a clinic, patients constantly flow in and out of the building. Every day the staff nurse practitioner treats patients with chronic medical conditions and those who require follow-up care after a clinic. Patients can come to the clinic any day to pick up medications, complete paperwork, and/or have laboratory work done. In addition, VSFC volunteers offer specialized programs onsite to patients free of charge, including mental health counseling, podiatry, arthritis care, and massage therapy. We feel fortunate that as the healthcare needs of our patients continue to increase, so, too, do the offers of volunteer assistance. BACK TO TOP
Specialized Services and Referrals through Partnerships with Local Healthcare Providers
Thanks to the generosity of many professional volunteers, the VSFC is able to offer specialized onsite services to patients. An endocrinologist volunteer treats the VSFC’s roughly 250 diabetic patients on a regular basis. Licensed social workers and licensed massage therapists volunteer their time treating patients who have been referred for care, and a podiatrist volunteer treats those who require specialized foot care. For patients requiring additional medical care beyond the scope of what can be provided at the VSFC, patients are referred to over fifty local specialists who provide either free or reduced-cost care to VSFC patients. The VSFC is thankful to these medical professionals whose expertise and compassion allow us to provide patients with the full range of healthcare. BACK TO TOP
Laboratory and Radiology Services through Partnerships with Local Healthcare Providers
Working with healthcare partners in the community, the VSFC is able to provide high-quality, comprehensive care to patients. The VSFC offers onsite laboratory services to patients through a valuable partnership with the Cleveland Clinic Wooster whereby CCW processes most in-house laboratory tests at no charge, saving the VSFC tens of thousands of dollars each year. Dunlap Community Hospital and Wooster Community Hospital each provide x-rays to VSFC patients free of charge on a referral basis, and Radiology Services of Canton reads x-rays free of charge. The VSFC is extremely grateful for these generous arrangements, which save both the VSFC and its patients an enormous amount of money. BACK TO TOP
Patient Medications
 The VSFC believes that to provide responsible care, patients must not only be diagnosed and educated, but also be given access to free or inexpensive medications. The VSFC obtains medications for its patients from several sources. Nearly half of the medications that the VSFC stores in its secure dispensary are purchased at cost from Wooster Community Hospital. This fairly recent partnership has saved the VSFC thousands of dollars since its inception. Several pharmaceutical representatives regularly donate medication samples, and many of the medical providers who volunteer also donate their offices’ pharmaceutical samples. Through pharmaceutical companies’ patient assistance programs, the VSFC obtains many higher-priced medications free of charge for specific patients with chronic health conditions. BACK TO TOP
The “Wayne RX” program funded by a grant through the United Way of Wayne and Holmes Counties, Inc. provides an additional avenue for patients to obtain medications from pharmaceutical companies. Another relatively new source of free medications is the drug repository program whereby the VSFC receives unused medications from nursing homes via wholesale pharmaceutical distributor OmniCare of Wadsworth, which assures the quality of the medications. Rarely, when a VSFC patient is prescribed a medication that is not obtainable from any of the above sources, s/he is given either a voucher for a patient to obtain necessary medication from a local pharmacy or a prescription which s/he must get filled and pay for. This situation occurs less than 10% of the time, and VSFC medical providers are encouraged to write prescriptions for lower-cost medications whenever possible. By providing patients with easy access to their medications, the VSFC helps keep them healthy so they can lead productive lives. BACK TO TOP
Collaboration with Local Human Service Organizations
Many local social service organizations refer clients to the VSFC for treatment, including - but not limited to - The Counseling Center, mental health resources; Goodwill Industries, job and life skills training; People-to-People Ministries, food and clothing; Salvation Army, Wooster Corps, temporary shelter; and STEPS at Liberty Center, drug and alcohol abuse prevention. In turn, VSFC staff members who interact with patients regularly refer them to a wide range of community resources to help them with a large variety of everyday needs. BACK TO TOP
Wellness Education - New Program to Help Overweight/Obese Patients
Are you a patient who would like to get in better shape? At the VSFC, we know how important it is to make healthy choices and we'd like to help you! Next time you're at the clinic, talk to an employee or volunteer about ways to make positive healthy changes in your life. We've begun a new FREE Family Nutrition Series sponsored by the Ohio State University Extension office of Wayne County (www.wayne.osu.edu). For additional community wellness resources, please refer to www.growinghealthyhabits.com and the attached brochure . By staying in good physical shape and eating nutritious foods this year, you and your family can lead a healthier life. BACK TO TOP
Leading Healthy Lives
The medical community has for years documented the link between obesity and several chronic diseases including cancer, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, lung disease, and mental illness. For the first time, the Viola Startzman Free Clinic is offering a FREE comprehensive program designed specifically for patients struggling with their weight. Called “Leading Healthy Lives” (LHL), the grant-funded program involves weekly participant check-ups and is designed to help each participant learn to eat healthy, increase his/her exercise level, reach a healthier weight, and possibly reduce dependence on medications. Membership in the six-month LHL program is open to patients whose body mass index (BMI) falls within a particular range and includes FREE access to nutrition and exercise classes. In addition, program participants’ results will be shared anonymously with Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine (NEOUCOM) for research purposes. Each participant who completes the entire six-month program will earn a $100 Wal*Mart gift card and a framed certificate of completion. For more information, please call the VSFC at 330-262-2500 and ask for the Nurse Practitioner. Please refer to the Wellness Education section for additional resources for getting healthy.
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