Free Medical Clinic receives sizable donation from Nucor
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
A timely $70,000 donation from Nucor Darlington last week will ensure that many patients at the Free Medical Clinic of Darlington County receive the care they need.
The funds were raised at two spring charity golf tournaments played at Cheraw State Park and Moree’s Cheraw Golf and Country Club, where 161 golfers participated and about 60 different vendors and sponsors helped stage the event.
A portion of this Nucor donation has been approved for a special Free Medical Clinic pilot project: covering up-front fees that keep some patients from receiving the specific consults and care they need.
“We see patients who are not able to get that specialty care unless we help them with the up-front fee, which is very discounted, but it’s still hard for some people to come up with $300 quickly for a procedure,” said Kathy Baxley, director of the Free Medical Clinic.
At the donation ceremony, Baxley asked for and received approval from Nucor’s day supervisor Ian Deeks to use $10,000 of the $70,000 for this program.
“Our board has approved a trial of this program using a percentage of gifts, and I chose $10,000 from the Nucor donation,” said Baxley. “If they know ahead of time, we can take these patients through their diagnosis and the tests they need – based on what that can also pay – and we can expedite their treatment to keep them out of the emergency room and keep their health from getting worse.”
In 2016, the combined offices of the Free Clinic of Darlington County provided 632 physician/patient visits. The Clinic pharmacy provided 4,138 new prescriptions and 364 off-site referrals for specialist visits, laboratory and radiology testing as ordered by volunteer medical providers.
Baxley offered thanks to all the volunteers and employees of Nucor who made the golf tournament fundraiser a success.
“It’s amazing the amount of people from this plant who start planning this in January, collecting sponsors, putting on the Platinum Supper the night before the event, staging this tournament at two golf courses for 161 players. And the Free Medical Clinic shows up. That’s it! That’s all we have to do. God has blessed us so much through Nucor,” said Baxley. “They trust us to use this money to make a difference in people’s lives.”
Nucor has planned another charity fundraiser centered around shooting sports. That event will take place in November, with proceeds again benefiting the clinic.
The Free Medical Clinic of Darlington County has clinical facilities in Darlington at 203 Grove Street, and in Hartsville at 500 West Carolina Avenue. For more information, call (843) 398-0060 in Darlington and (843) 332-0422 in Hartsville.
