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Every day, hundreds of sick and injured patients walk into free and charitable clinics around the Tampa Bay area in need of a doctor.Many are suffering from chronic conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Some patients were referred to the clinics by staff at hospitals where they landed after years of neglecting to care for treatable conditions.The clinics allow the patients to pay what they can, or nothing at all. They are staffed by doctors and nurses who volunteer their time. They survive off donations and small grants.Many of the patients have jobs but they are living paycheck to paycheck. None have health insurance, either because they do not qualify for Medicaid or can’t afford private coverage. For these patients, the clinics are often their only option for primary care.

Still a Long Way to Go on Mental Health

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

At his site Our Health Policy Matters, consultant Paul Gionfriddo writes that the extra $100 million in federal funding for mental health is more tokenism than real change. He says that’s a small portion, about 3 percent, of the overall Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration budget.

Gionfriddo also points out that states, not the federal government, hold more of the responsibility for mental health services. And this year, Florida and 13 other states either cut funding for mental health or held it stable. 

Originally founded in December 2006 as an independent grassroots publication dedicated to coverage of health issues in Florida, Health News Florida was acquired by WUSF Public Media in September 2012.