Video: Thousands Receive Quality Medical, Dental Care Through Good Samaritan Clinic

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TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) — It’s Wednesday morning, and Wanda Johnson is at the doctor’s office, getting advice on ways to control her diabetes.

Johnson has been a patient at the Antone Tannehill Good Samaritan Free Clinic for more than a decade.

“I don’t have insurance, the medications are free and the doctors here are real good,” Johnson said.

The clinic was founded in 1992 by Doctor Antone Tannehill, who wanted to provide quality medical care for the working uninsured and those temporarily unemployed.

Dr. Tannehill passed away several years ago, but each year, more than 25 hundred people are treated at the Good Samaritan Clinic. There are several guidelines, a patient must be at least 18, a resident of Lee County and there is a screening process.

Doctor Billy Walton is medical director of the clinic and has volunteered since the beginning.

“It’s a ministry for us here, the need is so great and it’s simply the right thing to do,” Dr. Watson said.

And it truly is a community partnership. For example, if a patient needs to see a specialist, physicians here at the Good Samaritan Clinic refer them to area doctors, who agree to perform the services at no cost. It is a life saving resource for those who are struggling, just to make ends meet.

“Studies have documented, as we have already found out down here, that this particular group of people, they make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but even with the Affordable Care Act insurance, it’s still costly to them,” said Clinic Director Cindy Sparks.

So with a budget of around $300,000 and 400 lay and professional volunteers, the Antone Tannehill Good Samaritan Free Clinic provides top notch medical, dental and pharmaceutical care free of charge to those who otherwise would fall through the cracks.

For information on the clinic, and its hours, go to www.tupelofreeclinic.com.