Free Health Care for Low Income Washtenaw County Residents at The Hope Clinic of Ypsilanti

Anyone may go to the Hope Clinic for treatment, although they request non-English speaking patients bring an interpreter. If you are having a medical emergency, though, you should go to the emergency room or call 911.

What:

The Hope Clinic is a Christian organization dedicated to providing free health care to low income residents who do not have health insurance. The Hope Clinic is staffed by volunteers and paid employees. They request a five dollar donation per visit, but receiving health care is not contingent upon your donation.

The Hope Clinic is a religion-based service and has a pastor on site if you would like to pray while you wait. The waiting area also has many Christian tracts in English and Spanish for those who are interested. They do not, however, refuse treatment to non-Christians. In my personal experience, no one at the Hope Clinic has ever tried to push any sort of belief on me, so don't let the religious slant keep you from accessing the free health care you need. If you don't mention Jesus, neither will they. On the other hand, Christians might take extra comfort in the religious services they provide.

Where:

The Hope Clinic of Ypsilanti, PO Box 980311 Ypsilanti, MI 48198-0311 Public Line: 734-481-0111 Fax: 734-485-5593

When:

Walk-in hours at the Hope Clinic start at 8:30 a.m. on Saturdays. They close sign-in between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m., and take patients in order of arrival. Get there as early as you can, because you can expect to wait several hours to see a doctor. For example, I arrived at 8:35 a.m. last Saturday, signed in as number 27, and left four and a half hours later. The Hope Clinic also has walk-in hours on Wednesday evenings beginning at 5:30. On Wednesdays, they take the first 23 patients that sign in and no more than that.

The Hope Clinic also has appointment-only hours, but they are currently booked through June. Unless you need to book an appointment for follow-up care, your best bet for medical treatment is to go during walk-in hours.

Why:

For low income and uninsured residents of Washtenaw County, this is an invaluable resource for free health care. Although the wait time is incredibly long, the quality of care is phenomenal. The staff takes the time to talk to you about your medical problem before examining you, and they can usually give you free medication from their on-site pharmacy. If they do need to prescribe medication that they cannot give you, they make sure you have the means to pay for your prescription. The Hope Clinic will not distribute or prescribe narcotics (read: If you need serious painkillers, go elsewhere.) or birth control.

The staff member who initially checks you in will let you know if you qualify income-wise for Washtenaw County's free health insurance and help you with the necessary forms if you'd like to apply. (You do have to fill out a detailed form about your income if you are a new patient, which feels invasive but they require it for their records.) If you live within a designated area in Washtenaw County, the Hope Clinic can arrange for free lab work and x-rays from St. Joseph's Hospital if you need them as part of your care through the clinic.