FERNCARE New Location Same Service
Story by Sara E. Teller
Photo Bernie LaFramboise
Ferncare is a nonprofit, free clinic located in the heart of Ferndale. The clinic treats persons without medical insurance or a primary care physician, ages 19 to 64.
Ferncare provides primarily non-emergency care of chronic illnesses, performs routine check-ups, dispenses generic prescriptions and provides lab testing as needed. The clinic also offers benefits counseling, can enroll patients in the Prescription Assistance Program and can help with enrolling clients in the Affordable Care Act Insurance Exchange as well as in Healthy Michigan plans. The purpose of the clinic is to “provide no-cost medical care to the medically uninsured and under-insured residents of Ferndale and surrounding communities.”
Currently, the clinic is only seeing individuals without medical assistance, due to the high volume of demand. “We have so many people without insurance of any kind that we just can’t see under-insured,” says Board President Ann Heler.
Ferncare will soon be undergoing a move from its location at 459 E 9 Mile Rd to 751 E 9 Mile Rd, Suite 2. “We are moving because Credit Union One is selling the whole block to a developer,” Ann explains. “This is the medical suite at the east end of Ferndale Plaza. It is only two blocks east of our present location.”
The clinic will retain much of the same features. “The name, the clinic hours, everything remains the same, the only change is our location. We are even moving the Little Free Library,” says Ann. This feature allows patrons to exchange free reading materials.
Ann is nostalgic about Ferncare’s present location, which came to fruition in September 2011 after having established at the Kulick Community Center in Ferndale in August 2010. “When we moved in, it was only a storage space and so we designed the clinic. With an HRSA earmark grant of $148,000 that we got through Sandy Levin and his team, we created the clinic. Lots of memories for us, as you can imagine.”
She has mixed feelings about the move. “We have been here for five-and-a-half years and, of course, love the location and the building.” But, the employees appreciate the importance of offering their services to members of the community and will continue to provide top-notch care in their new home.
The staff’s last day at the current location will have been on Saturday, November 19th. “As soon as the patients leave, we will begin packing,” Ann says. The actual move will take place shortly after on Monday, November 21, and Tuesday, November 22. The clinic will reopen on Saturday, December 3rd. “We will be scheduling open houses in January after the holiday season,” she adds.
Ferncare will keep its current care schedule, and appointments set during and following the move will not be affected in the transition.
The clinic is open the first and third Saturday, 9AM to 12PM, and the second and fourth Thursday, 6PM to 8PM, of every month for medical care. The clinic provides in-depth counseling the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month. In addition, diabetic support workshops are held the first Saturday of each month, 12PM to 1PM. “At this point, we are not canceling any clinics, we are moving between scheduled clinics,” Ann explains. She encourages anyone in need of care to come speak to the staff at the new location after December 2nd.
Appointments can be made and information can also be requested by calling 248-677-2273. All calls are returned within 24 hours.
Ferncare is volunteer drive and staffed, and is always in search of new community members willing to participate. Information on volunteering is available at Ferncare’s website, ferncare.org.
