Expanding access to COVID-19 testing, vaccination and treatment at a free clinic for uninsured Spanish-speaking adults in Providence, RI

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted uninsured and minority populations, contributing to and reinforcing long-lasting health inequities. Clínica Esperanza/Hope Clinic (CEHC), a free clinic serving uninsured individuals, is one ‘safety-net’ clinic that improved access to COVID-19 testing and vaccinations for an at-risk population during the pandemic. A retrospective review was performed to quantify COVID-19 testing and vaccination rates for clinic participants, which were compared to rates in the general population. 51.7% of patients seeking COVID-related care at CEHC were uninsured, compared to 8% in Providence and 4.8% in Rhode Island. CEHC performed 5,623 COVID-19 tests for 4,498 unique individuals, a total of 15,783 vaccines were administered, and 10 to 20% of COVID-care participants reported food insecurity during the study period. The prevalence of COVID-19 in the uninsured population and the high demand for vaccines highlight the important role that free clinics can play in the pandemic setting.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• vaccination
• free clinic
• disparities
• uninsured

Acknowledgements

The authors appreciate the staff, volunteers, and funding supporters of CEHC, who collectively enabled access to testing, vaccines, and healthcare at CEHC throughout the COVID-19 pandemic for a population of Rhode Island residents that otherwise would have had limited access to care.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Funding for the COVID pandemic programs described in this article was received from: The Rhode Island Department of Health; Providence City Council, Rhode Island Emergency Management (RIEMA), FEMA, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Wend Foundation, BioReference Laboratories, Armory Management Company, Episcopal Charities Fund of Rhode Island, Tufts Health Plan Foundation (Point32Health Foundation), Rhode Island Foundation, TD Charitable Foundation, Centreville Bank, EpiVax VaxGivesBack Fund, Lifespan and the Elisha Project, and generous individual donors.