Engage Free Medical Clinics

ENGAGE OKLAHOMA

The Engage Free Clinic Rural Health Care Association

(Contact form below)

ENGAGE OKLAHOMA, is a rural, free health care association that is specifically designed to give existing or startup free health care clinics the tools they need to succeed with the ongoing support of a group of fellow rural clinics and consultants.

Membership and services are free because, like Engage, it's our calling.

We understand the unique challenges facing rural free health care because we are a rural free health clinic ourselves. Volunteer, free health clinics have a hard enough job.

According to the Oklahoma Farm Bureau (2023) "Rural Oklahoma, which accounts for 34% of the state’s population, has shown a cumulative death rate of 9.6% compared to a rate of 8.78% in urban Oklahoma. Unfortunately, rural communities have also seen growing hospital closures with 128 rural hospitals in America shuttering in the last decade.

For rural free clinics, a classic problem has become worse; budgets are tight, new technology can be financially out of reach and needs are generally higher. This, along with other factors, has resulted in many traditional faith-based free clinics closing when they're needed the most, especially in rural areas. The pandemic of the 2020's hit hard. A new approach is needed.

As the Engage Clinic in rural Shawnee, OK prepared for our own 5th anniversary in January of 2024, we considered our vision for the next five years in our own region. Because of other pandemic related clinic closures, our area of service expanded to parts of four counties, creating many new challenges. Our own medical staff struggled in this new environment to provide the same primary care we always have.

We created and are now using a new free clinic model that integrates cutting edge technology in a necessary, purposeful and affordable way, customized for rural free clinics. We've re-negotiated discount prices for support services. We've created a consistent free clinic model that allows independent free clinics to be connected to needed services.

What our association specifically offers...

• Consultants to evaluate the viability of starting a free medical clinic
• A business plan to understand and guide without surprises
• Consultants to guide during start up or upgrade
• Free to low-cost Electronic Medical Records
• Technology and/or equipment for upgrade or startup provided for free, with a grant using our business plan in conjunction with a local foundation
• A statewide mail order pharmacy service
• The ability to help recruit volunteers thru our website
• Conferences for continuing education 
• You can stay up to date anytime by clicking on our association newsletter box and selecting the association choice

Our association has generated interest in the government and healthcare community as a way forward in rebuilding rural free healthcare.

With the ENGAGE OKLAHOMA association, we can have an effective way for independent rural free health care clinics to connect and work together, as well as giving rural churches or other smaller groups the tools and confidence they need to efficiently open a medical ministry in their own area.

This keeps with the Original Engage Free Clinics principals of giving community volunteers a way to efficiently change lives as a group, with, supporters who want to see their support do the most that it can, as well as creating a solution when we see the need for a better way, then sharing that solution with other groups also wanting to make a difference! 

If you would like more information about possibly getting our help with your own free clinic effort, or, you just want to see if a free clinic is right for your church or group, fill out the form below and one of our volunteer consultants will contact you!

Blessings,

Frank Kelly and Bill Sisson

Engage Oklahoma