Bread Of Healing Clinic
Barbara A. Horner-Ibler, M.D., Medical Director
Cross Lutheran Church
1821 N. 16th Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53205
414-977-0001
| Ecclesiastes 11:1. Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. Maya Angelou writes further: When we cast our bread upon the waters, we can presume that someone downstream, whose face we may never see, will benefit from our actions, even as we enjoy the fruits sent to us from a donor upstream, whose face we have never seen. |
The Bread of Healing Clinic began as a ministry of Cross Lutheran Church, established with the support of community partners (UW-Madison Medical School, Aurora Health Care, other local churches). It continues now as a separately incorporated organization, holding clinics at three sites--Cross Lutheran Church (5 half days/week), the Agape Center (Wednesday evenings) and Eastbrook Church (the third Saturday each month).
Our purpose is to
- Provide high quality medical care for people with chronic illnesses, who are working but are without access to health insurance.
- Provide an environment of education for patients and for volunteers to learn more about the treatment of chronic illnesses in patients who most often experience disparities in care.
- Provide opportunities to experience, request, and offer healing for all of us (patient, provider, volunteer).
- Provide health care for patients in between health insurance coverages.
We believe that health is
- An issue of faith, for Jesus was continuously engaged in the work of healing.
- An issue of social justice, a right that belongs to all people, regardless of ability to pay.
- An issue of wholeness in the physical, spiritual, emotional and social wellbeing of individuals.
God calls us to healing in every arena of human life, and we seek to respond to that call in this ministry.
Volunteers
Physicians, Nurses, Pharmacists, Diabetic Educators, Resident Physicians, Medical Students, Medical Assistants, Medication Sorters, Construction Crews, Board of Directors, Pharmacists.
Total In-Kind Volunteer Contributions: Over $200,000/year
Demographics
- Opened in 2000, we have seen 2000 different patients.
- Currently open to see patients 5 half days each week at the Cross Lutheran site, 1 evening each week at the Agape Center, and 1 Saturday each month at Eastbrook.
- 350-400 patient visits each month; 4000 patient visits in 2008.
- 700-1000 patients are active with the clinic at any given time.
- 55% have hypertension.
- 25% have diabetes.
- All medications, supplies, labs, visits with a medical professionals are free.
- Patients are referred through the Aurora’s Sinai and St. Luke’s residency programs, the Parish Nurse network, the local churches, Aurora clinics, and city emergency rooms.
- 70% of our patients are African American.
- 84% of our patients are working.
- 60% of our patients are men.
- Average household income, $1080.