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Free healthcare, dental services for the underserved
A couple of local nonprofits are teaming up to give Tampa neighbors access to free dental and healthcare. FOX 13's Briona Arradondo reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Starting Thursday morning, a pair of local nonprofits are joining forces to offer free health and dental care to underserved Tampa residents at a local drop-in center.
Tampa medical access
What we know:
The DROP (Dignity and Resilience Operations Partnership) from WellBuilt Cities in Seminole Heights partnered with Pioneer Medical Foundation to expand its services by adding dental care and medical exam rooms.
The facility located on Nebraska Avenue sits directly on the bus line, making it easily accessible for homeless residents or those without stable housing.
A staff of ten workers, including a dentist and a doctor or nurse practitioner, will be onsite to provide care.
The free clinic will open its doors to patients every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Community support history
The backstory:
The DROP offers Tampa neighbors a safe space to take a shower, do laundry, receive mail, and access the internet and job search resources.
The center has recorded at least 6,000 visits and served over 1,000 individual people since reopening in January.
The temporary shutdown occurred last year after federal funding cuts forced the facility to briefly close its doors.
Now, the organization is back to addressing basic needs, mental health, and physical care.
Community health impact
What they're saying:
"When the opportunity came about to partner, we thought this is just something that the community needs, especially with the new health care costs being cut. This is something that the communities desperately need," said Ano Kashumba, assistant vice president of Pioneer Medical Foundation. "This is right on Nebraska. It's right on the bus line. It's right where people can reach us. So, instead of people going far to reach medical services, we want to bridge that gap and have people able to access us promptly."
Local healthcare gaps
What we don't know:
It is unclear if additional medical specialties will be added to the clinic in the future.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX13's Briona Arradondo, who walked through the facility, as well as conducted an interview with Pioneer Medical Foundation Assistant Vice President Ano Kashumba.