The Jewish Community Free Clinic, by Executive Director Donna Waldman
Our Speaker for Thursday, January 19, 2023, was Donna Waldman, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Free Clinic (JCFC) in Santa Rosa. JCFC was founded in 2001 b Dr. Robin Lowitz, a long-time Santa Rosa physician. Dr. Lowitz saw the need in Santa Rosa for free healthcare for those who could not afford it, especially farmworkers. JCFC’s services are completely free, with no questions asked. All medical services are performed by volunteers, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and nurses, among others. It is open 30 hours per week. Donna has been with the JCFC from its beginning! JCFC is run by Jewish people but it does not primarily serve the Jewish community. It is guided by Jewish principles of philanthropy, including the concept that we should leave the world better than we found it. As Donna stated, charity is an obligation. JCFC’s current patients include migrant workers, Fijian health-care workers, the low income, mothers with children, and refugees, including Venezuelans and Ukrainians. Its current budget is $500,000. Danna believes that the JCFC saves our local emergency rooms much more than that by providing an alternative for the uninsured. She noted that even community health care clinics cost some money, and the people served by the JCFC cannot typically afford to pay anything for services.
JCFC provides a wide range of primary care treatments to its patients and plays an active role in providing vaccinations. It has two full-time people working in primary care. It has also recently received a grant for $90,000 to respond to Covid emergencies, including prescriptions for paxlovid. This drug is very effective for treating Covid, but must be administered within 5 days of the onset of symptoms, so prompt diagnosis and referral are very important and part of JCFC’s core practice. JCFC’s services include acupuncture, which Donna believes is an effective pain management tool and can often keep people from resorting to, or staying on, opioids. Mental health services are also available at JCFC. The treatment can last up to 8-12 weeks and is solution-focused, which emphasizes goal clarification, skill development, actively working on steps needed to identify and engage strengths and resiliency. JCFC also has a teaching clinic in which it helps train Kaiser Residents and Sonoma State Family Nurse Practitioner students. Donna also teaches a group of high school students on issues of social justice and civics, and she reports that the students love it and never miss a class!
JCFC benefits the community in a number of ways. It focuses on the treatment of communicable diseases, helps low-income people, and migrants, and refers people to permanent medical care. It was instrumental in helping Sonoma County achieve its high rate of Covid vaccinations. It also partners with the community health care system in Sonoma County.
Thank you, Donna, for providing us with key information about a wonderful organization helping Sonoma County by treating the uninsured, low-income, and migrant/refugee population. And thank you for all the good work you and the organization do in Sonoma County!
Click HERE to view a recording of Donna Waldman's presentation. It will be available for a limited time.
