River Valley
Christian Clinic (RVCC) was begun at the end of 2006 because a
handful of people had a vision for offering medical services to
those who could not afford it. St. Mary’s Regional Hospital in
Russellville had a medical clinic sitting empty in Dardanelle and
when asked, agreed to let RVCC open for business in that location.
A Board of Directors consisting of eleven members from Pope and Yell
Counties was assembled to govern. RVCC opened to patients on
January 11, 2007.
The mission of
River Valley Christian Clinic is to provide health care (medical,
dental and optical) and spiritual guidance to anyone in the River
Valley who cannot afford to access traditional health care.
Services are provided without regard to race, sex, age or religion.
Patients are allowed to visit the clinic one time without being
qualified. To qualify as a patient at RVCC, applicants must be
uninsured, not eligible for Medicaid or Medicare, and must fall
within 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. At present, dental
patients with Medicaid and Medicare are accepted and we furnish
glasses for Medicaid and Medicare patients with a prescription from
their doctor.
The clinic is
funded through individual, corporate and church donations as well as
through grants. As of 2009 the clinic has received three dental
grants from Delta Dental totaling $48,379.00. These grants provided
the funds to furnish and equip the dental area with three dental
chairs.
The clinic
administrator is the only paid, full-time employee at present. A
part-time Nurse Practitioner was hired in March of 2009. All the
professionals and others who assist at the clinic are here on a
voluntary basis. Teams of leaders help coordinate all of the
volunteers. There are usually 50-60 volunteers at each clinic
including, doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, pharmacy
technicians, x-ray technicians, lab technicians, medical records
personnel, greeter/ runners, parking/security, child-care,
interpreters, counselors, dental assistants, eye doctors, and
optical assistants.
Clinics are held
on the first and third Thursday evening of each month. There is a
Follow-Up clinic on Tuesday afternoons following each night clinic.
We see, on average 250 patients per month.
Dental services
began in January of 2007 and optical services were added in mid
April.
In March 2008 a
Diabetic Clinic was established. Diabetic patients receive lab
work, nutrition classes and a doctor visit (ophthalmologist,
podiatrist, and medical). Diabetic clinics are held quarterly and
give doctors the ability to regularly track patients’ progress.
Smoking Cessation classes have been added as well as Weight loss
classes. Once each quarter, women are scheduled for colposcopies at
RVCC. A colposcopy is a procedure used to examine for precancerous
conditions in the cervical tissue.
