Open Door Health Center

Homestead, Fla.
Grant Amount: $25,000

Located in the Homestead/Florida City area of Miami-Dade County, Florida, the Open Door Health Center (ODHC) serves this rural community whose population is almost half Hispanic, a quarter African-American, and the remaining are immigrants from Haiti, the Caribbean, and indigenous peoples from Guatemala and Mexico.  The clinic provides free comprehensive medical services to the uninsured poor who fall below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.

Last year, ODHC treated 2,558 patients over 11,078 visits.  The clinic has 235 volunteers, 105 of whom are physicians.

ODHC was awarded a grant of $25,000 to add 50 patients to their Prescription for Health Diabetes Program.  The program will provide hands-on education via both individual appointments, support/group appointments, cooking classes, and supermarket tours.  One Community Health Worker and one Outreach Worker will be recruited to provide peer support to the patients through phone calls, clinic visits, and home visits.  A Program Coordinator will conduct the weekly support/group appointments, multi-ethnic cooking classes, and supermarket tours.  Lastly, the Clinic Director and other providers will oversee the patient assessments upon enrollment, and schedule alternating monthly provider and support/group appointments.