5Q: Forrest A. Daniels
CEO, Rhode Island Free Clinic
1. You took on the role of CEO a little over a year ago. What were some of your main priorities then and how much do you feel you have accomplished so far?
Upon my arrival, I was keenly aware that the clinic would be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2023; a historic milestone for the organization and the thousands of medically uninsured adult patients we serve. Ensuring our financial sustainability and continuing to focus on quality care for our patients were priorities on Day 1 and remain so.
2. How many people does the clinic serve and how has that number changed over time?
Our patient volume and scope of services have grown significantly. Annually, on average 2,500 patients receive comprehensive, quality medical, dental and behavioral health care. With support from Delta Dental, we were able to build out a dental suite. Since the start of this calendar year, we’ve exceeded 600 dental visits. During COVID-19, we saw an additional 2,500 residents through the COVID Clinic.
3. How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected care for uninsured and low-income individuals?
Drastically. Pre-COVID-19, we had a robust volunteer pool of over 600 doctors, nurse practitioners, medical scribes, interpreters and medical assistants; however, there has been some natural attrition of our doctors from COVID-19 and retirement. We’re operating with about 25% fewer doctors. We are aggressively working to recruit new volunteers.
4. What do you see as the biggest challenges for the clinic and other health care organizations in the next year?
Our services are 100% free to all eligible adult patients and we don’t bill private insurers, Medicaid or Medicare. One of our ongoing challenges is our ability to raise funds for operations and long-term sustainability. An additional challenge … is our ability to recruit a new core of committed volunteer doctors, dentists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and registered nurses, particularly those in primary care.
5. Do you have any imminent plans of further growth? What do you envision for the clinic’s future?
At the moment, we’re focusing our growth in the areas of staffing, technology and quality of care. As the host site and sub-awardee for the Northern Rhode Island Area Health Education Center, we will also continue to serve as a training site for aspiring health care professionals while establishing a greater presence in communities across the state educating [youths] on career opportunities in health care. n
