The Helping Hand Clinic has successfully met Central Carolina Hospital’s 30-day matching donation of up to $5,000 to help support the Helping Hand Clinic, which provides free healthcare to low-income, medically uninsured patients.

The hospital offered to match all community contributions received during the month of September, up to $5,000. The clinic has already received more than $5,000 in community contributions so far this month, so CCH is donating a matching $5,000 to the clinic, for a total contribution of $10,000.

“We are pleased to provide this essential support to an organization that provides such an important role in our local healthcare delivery system,” said Dave Santoemma, CEO of CCH. “Together, the clinic and the hospital are strong partners in caring for those in need in our community.”

“We are grateful for this generous donation to the Helping Hand Clinic,” said Gwendolyn Lee-Cooper, Director of the clinic. “The support of the community has been overwhelming in response to the challenge, and ongoing support is vital to our continued operations.”

More than 4,000 people and 400 businesses and organizations donate to the clinic annually. But recently, the clinic has seen a 33 percent drop in donations, Cooper-Lee said.

Fewer grants are available, and federal funding sources are being reduced or eliminated. Cuts in Medicaid will bring an estimated 1,200 more uninsured patients to the clinic. In July, the clinic was forced to cut four of its six full-time staff.

A non-profit organization, the Helping Hand Clinic has operated in Sanford since 1993. It provides free healthcare and education to more than 1,000 total unique patients each year. It relies on its funding from grants, governmental sources and local donations.

To qualify for services, patients must have income within 400 percent of the federal poverty level. Without the clinic, most clients would forgo healthcare entirely or end up in the Emergency Department, Cooper-Lee said. Last year alone, the clinic provided care that helped the hospital avoid $1.1 million in uncompensated care in the hospital’s Emergency Department.

To make a donation, please make checks payable to Helping Hand Clinic and send them to Helping Hand Clinic at 409 Carthage Street in Sanford. Credit card and debit card payments can be made at the clinic’s website at https://hhcsanford.com/. Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

PHOTO CAPTION: Dave Santoemma, CEO of Central Carolina Hospital, presents a check for $5,000 to Bill Huggins, Chairman of the Helping Hand Clinic Board of Directors. Looking on, left to right, are David Munton, Chief Financial Officer of CCH; Bob Finch, Vice Chairman of the Helping Hand Clinic Board of Directors; and Dr. John Mangum, a member of the Helping Hand Clinic Board of Directors.