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A Voice of By Rena Tibbits W


ith a twinkle in her eyes and a spry step in her petite frame, Pat King will tell you she is grateful to her “angels” at the Good Shepherd Community Clinic, Inc. (GSCC) in Ardmore, Okla.


“Words can’t express the gratitude I have for


these extraordinary people. Through their compas- sion, Good Shepherd has provided me, and so many people in this community who face similar problems and limited resources, with glasses, dental work, den- tures, medicine and medical care,” King said. As a widow with children coping with her late husband’s catastrophic illness, Pat had no insurance, and no fi nancial means to deal with her pre-existing medical condition. She wanted to become healthy, fi nd a job and serve as an example to her children. “The dental work was a blessing because I had bro- ken all my front teeth when I had my last two large seizures. Employers would not even look at me for a job,” King said.


Good Shepherd was able to provide her with glass- es, dentures and medical care which allowed her to


Compassion


re-enter the workforce and become a role model. “Patients receiving treatment at a free clinic need to feel that someone still believes in them, and they are not just statistics in a political year. These in- dividuals are still part of the American Family and many have not chosen poverty as their profession. Poverty is the baffling circumstance that sur- rounds them,” stated Rena Tibbits, GSCC director of development and social service coordinator. “Hope, respect and dignity are the last things that can be stripped from a person and often these individuals are just down on their luck waiting for a hand-up.” According to the United States Census Bu- reau, currently over 18 percent of Oklahoma residents are without health insurance. In ad- dition, Terrisa Singleton, foundation manager of the Delta Dental of Oklahoma Oral Health Foundation, said 50 percent of Oklahomans are without dental plans. Of the 3,244 charitable or- ganizations registered with the Oklahoma Sec- retary of State, the Oklahoma Charitable Clinic Association cites 60 charitable clinics statewide. “I just wanted someone to listen to me,” is a


phrase heard often at GSCC. The clinic’s health care team and volunteer doctors, optometrists and den- tists provide a safety net for the indigent, uninsured and working poor in the GSCC service area of Carter, Love, Johnston, Marshall, and Murray Counties in southern Oklahoma.


Continued on Page 20


Nurse Practitioner Tasha Preston (left) and Medical Assistant Laura Macon (right) choose to work in the free clinic over the private sector environment. Courtesy Photo


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