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| For a church who is interested in developing a clinic, the first and most important step is the identification and inspiration of key leaders who will drive the clinic development effort. Typically, these are lay leaders with dedication and leadership skills who become passionately engaged in organizing and leading a planning team responsible for bringing the clinic into existence under the church's sponsorship. The involvement of capable, |
effective lay leaders insures that this effort is an extension of the church's ministry without adding to the workload of the church's ministerial staff.
Any healthy, sustainable enterprise requires significant planning. A critical mass of the right people, facilities, systems, and resources for the target audience must all be in place prior to launch. ECHO can help your church with planning so that within 12 to 18 months the clinic can open its doors and doctors can begin seeing patients.
During that planning phase, ECHO will provide a consultant to work with your planning team to insure that a solid foundation is laid for a successful launch. This consultant will be provided at ECHO's expense, with the exception of "site visit" travel related costs.
Many churches start small, with clinics only meeting a couple of times a month. The availability of volunteers, facilities, and the patient community all contribute to determining the size of the clinic. As more needs are identified, more volunteers are recruited, and more people learn about the clinic and join in to help, the clinic can grow. At maturity, the average ECHO clinic is expected to provide a "medical home" for approximately 2000 patients.
One of the earliest activities is assessing your church's physical and volunteer resources, as well as the demographics of your target patient community. This will help determine what type of clinic will best suit your capabilities and patients. Will your clinic be on-site or have its own location? When and for how long will your clinic be open? What types of care will you provide? How will your clinic integrate with other healthcare providers and resources in the community and with your church's overall ministry? These are all questions that will be answered in the planning process for your church’s clinic.
Frankly, there are a myriad of issues that face a church when it decides to utilize a healthcare clinic to reach out and serve the community. Licensing and liability issues, staffing and volunteer recruitment, networking and acquiring proper equipment and supplies are all challenges that must be faced before the first patient is treated. ECHO is devoted to helping you find the solutions for these concerns and more. |
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