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Free Clinic gets first nurse practitioner

By DEAN MULLINS
Published February 12, 2006

ST. PETERSBURG - For 36 years, the St. Petersburg Free Clinic's Health Center has treated patients without the benefit of a full-time medical practitioner. That changed this month when Diane Renshaw, a nurse practitioner, joined the staff.

Renshaw's addition was made possible through a grant to pay her salary for one year from Allegany Franciscan Ministries Inc. She joins about 70 volunteers and four full-time staffers who care for nearly 400 walk-in patients each month.

The number of patients treated by physicians has been limited by the number of physician volunteers. But Renshaw, who has worked with a private practice physician for the past five years, is not there to merely handle overflow.

"I hope that I'll be able to provide a continuum of care for patients," she said.

With Renshaw on board, the clinic will be better able to serve patients who need follow-up care after visiting an emergency room, said Jane Egbert, executive director of the clinic. Most of the clinic's patients are uninsured adults under 65 and the working poor who can't afford health care.

The clinic uses more than 20 volunteer physicians each month, which makes it difficult for patients with chronic conditions to see the same physician on a continuing basis.

For many patients, Renshaw may be their regular health care provider. An advanced registered nurse practitioner, she can treat a myriad of illnesses. A partnership with the Pinellas County Health Department will allow her to write non-narcotic prescriptions and order diagnostic testing for patients.

"It's not just that we will be able to see more patients, we can now reserve more time for our physicians," said Chris Almvig, director of the Health Center.

The ability to spend time with each patient is important to the staff. They will continue to treat medical conditions but also help patients lead healthier lives.

"We want to provide an atmosphere for health education, where we are seeing the whole person," she said.

The center conducts diabetic classes three times a month, facilitates smoking cessation courses and provides a drug assistance program. But, most education occurs on a patient-by-patient basis - a difficult task for a small staff and busy volunteers. Renshaw's arrival will play an important role in expanding the quality of care through education. She is in complete agreement with the clinic's philosophy. "Patients are much more compliant when they have an understanding of the reasons for and the side effects of the medications they are given," she said.

The clinic relies on monetary donations and in-kind gifts for medication and supplies. Grants and contributions from individuals, businesses, civic groups and religious organizations provide funding for staff and operational costs.

The St. Petersburg Free Clinic's Health Center is at 863 Third Ave. N. For more information, call (727) 327-0333.

--Dean Mullins is a reporter for the Neighborhood News Bureau, a program of the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

[Last modified February 12, 2006, 00:26:20]