O
RLANDO, Florida ranks third in the nation for uninsured residents despite the Affordable Care Act. With over 3 million people seeking low and no cost medical assistance,
emergency rooms can become overwrought while many residents will avoid treatment
completely. The end result can have long term detrimental effects on the economy and more
importantly on individual health.
For many in Central Florida, a solution to the problem was created six years ago by Dr. Marvin
Hardy; a native Floridian with a Christ centered approach to life and career who pursued
medicine simply because he wanted to help people. Grace Medical Home was created to
reflect the character and compassion of Christ by offering the highest level of medical care to
those in our community who need it most.
“We said let’s be a medical home or home base for the uninsured that is Christ centered,” Dr.
Hardy explained as the impetus of the idea.
As this idea and vision spread, community leaders and other healthcare professionals with
similar hopes and dreams stepped forward to join the effort. Some were already providing
healthcare services for the underserved of Central Florida and were witnessing first-hand the
need to help restore the physical health of their patients. They, too, were envisioning a place
where their current patients could receive quality health education and continuity of care.
Business and community leaders joined Dr. Hardy to access the healthcare needs of Orlando
and began to raise funding for operations. Together, relying fully on the perfect plan of Jesus
Christ, a team was formed to establish Grace Medical Home.
Grace Medical Home received its 501(c) (3) status in January 2008. The countless hours of
dedicated volunteers have brought them to where they are today. Hundreds of volunteers of all
ages and stages of life continue donating their
time, talent and treasure to the vision of Grace
Medical Home.
Grace Medical Home is able to operate because
of the hundreds of volunteers serving in both
clinical and non-clinical roles. For continuity,
there is a small core of clinical and professional
staff. Continuity is a major shift for the
uninsured according to Dr. Hardy. “Continuity
and medical homes don’t usually go together
for people who don’t have insurance,” he says.
“Traditionally, if the uninsured population
pursues medical assistance, treatment is
provided by professionals who don’t have the
comprehensive network that contributes to
extraordinary care.”
Grace Medical Home provides continuous,
comprehensive primary care. Think of a medical
home as a hub or home base where a patient’s
16
ibasuccessmagazine . com
/ Issue 3 2016