Death Is Not an Option: A View from a Free Medical Clinic

Grey, Bette A.

Bette Grey understands the plight of the uninsured. She has walked in the shoes of those she now helps to get healthcare. She believes the life events that triggered this journey were actually blessings in disguise to not only others but for her as well. She credits God with the nudges to begin the project. No matter what direction her life took, she always was brought back to the idea for a free clinic. While recuperating from a vital surgery, she thought about those with the same issues who had no access to care other than through the local emergency room. And then she really thought about those who might refuse to go. She knew they would ultimately end up in the emergency room as a necessity, nearing death. She credits the ABC news program, "20/20" and the segment featuring Jon BonJovi. The performer was dedicating many dollars to a local free clinic in his community. The free clinic in Red Bank followed the Volunteers in Medicine clinic model. Bette innocently decided to explore the internet to find out about this type of clinic. She had no intentions of doing anything further but she believes God had other plans. Fast forward with many meetings under her belt, she was able to open the fifty-first Volunteers in Medicine clinic. As she looks back, she believes the lives saved are incredible, more than she ever thought. She really thought the clinic would be more for acute illness rather than the chronic diseases the clinic have treated. Never did she expect the seriousness of the diagnoses that would lead to the deaths of everyday folks. In the clinic, each patient becomes like a member of a large family. The volunteers and the small staff understand the population they treat. Practitioners have made the statement that the clinic reminds them of why they spent the money to go to medical school. There are no confining limitations on how long they can spend treating a patient. For many, they get something they d