In a significant move to enhance healthcare accessibility in Berks County, the Western Berks Free Medical Clinic, based in Robesonia, has announced the opening of a new clinic in the City of Reading.
This expansion aims to provide free primary care services to adults who lack health insurance coverage. Simultaneously, the clinic has unveiled a new name, officially becoming the Berks County Free Medical Clinic, reflecting its commitment to serving a wider geographical area. These changes take effect immediately.
The newly established Reading clinic, located at Mary’s Shelter on 615 Kenhorst Boulevard in Reading, is set to offer free health clinics for uninsured adults on Tuesday mornings from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM.
Greg Colahan, Executive Director of the clinic, expressed his enthusiasm for the new site, saying, “The opening of our new clinic will allow us to better serve the City of Reading and its surrounding areas so that city patients, who make up about 50% of our patient population, do not need to travel 14 miles to our Robesonia clinic. We are grateful to the board of directors of Mary’s Shelter for their support in allowing us to expand into the city in their facility.”
Cheryl Moody, President of the board, emphasized the broader scope of the clinic’s services, stating, “With the addition of the Reading clinic, the board felt we could better identify ourselves as serving all of Berks County by changing our name to ‘Berks Free Medical Clinic.’ We will operate both clinics – Robesonia and Reading – to provide free medical care to the underserved.”
Patients wishing to make an appointment for either location can call 610-693-6207, or visit the clinic’s website; berksfmc.com.
The Western Berks Free Medical Clinic was established within St. Daniel’s Lutheran Church on 480 Big Spring Road, Robesonia, in October 2002. As an independent 501(c)(3) organization, this free clinic has offered over 10,000 primary and chronic appointments at no cost to individual patients. The clinic operates through the dedicated efforts of volunteers and relies exclusively on financial donations to cover its expenses.
This expansion and name change mark a significant step in the clinic’s mission to provide essential healthcare services to the uninsured and underserved population in Berks County.