Sarah* has 2 children and was currently 9 weeks pregnant. She decided to look for prenatal care early in her pregnancy this time around as last time she was unable to get prenatal care and had to resort to showing up at the emergency room when she found herself in labor.
Sarah contacted The Luke Clinic after being turned away from 14 other clinics—because she did not have health insurance, she was refused care time and time again.
When she called, she was reassured by staff that the clinic would love to take care of her and the baby on the very next clinic day. Sadly, Sarah’s home caught fire and burned to the ground that week—leaving her with nothing.
She and her extended family found themselves placed in various different shelters throughout the metro area. Over the following days, clinic staff remained in contact with her and was able to offer her support, encouragement, and transportation assistance to get to our next clinic. The mobile unit went out and staff offered to connect with her so that they could drop off supplies and check in on her family.
This is just one story of many. The Luke Clinic patients face many barriers to accessing prenatal care—from lack of reliable or affordable transportation to lack of childcare, as well as lack of health insurance.
The Luke Clinic is a free clinic; however, through a partnership with Access Health, many of the patients are able to sign up for Medicaid. This provides them with free transportation to appointments and the ability to utilize the health system for additional antenatal testing ultrasound and delivery.
God has always provided a way for The Luke Clinic to care for all of its patients. Most recently, a staff member covered the cost for one of the clinic’s patient’s lab bills. The staff never ceases to be amazed by His provision through its many donors, including those who are a part of the Michigan District’s Here We Stand Campaign, and partners such as the University of Michigan Health System who take care of the clinic’s undocumented and uninsured patients.
The Luke Clinic is one of several Acts2Enterprise (A2E) urban innovative missional ministries proudly supported through the Here We Stand Campaign. To date, nearly $3.9 million has been donated for Innovative Missional Ministries. To become a financial supporter of the A2E Innovative Ministries, please visit michigandistrict.org/herewestand.
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