The Champaign County Health District held its first free medical clinic for the under-served population on Jan. 5. Future clinics will be held on one Saturday each month from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Health District, located inside the Champaign County Community Center on South U.S. Route 68 in Urbana.

The next clinic will be held on Feb. 16, followed by March 16, April 20, May 18 and June 1. A complete schedule is available at the Health District.

The clinic consists of one secretary, one nurse and one physician who will be able to perform blood pressure screenings and blood sugar screenings, draw labs and write prescriptions. There are no restrictions on financial or insurance status. The clinic is available to everyone, but Health Commissioner Gabe Jones said he recommends people with insurance first see their primary care provider if they are able.

“We feel that health care access is sort of difficult in Champaign County and not everyone has access to a physician or primary care service,” Jones said. “A lot of our residents are going to the ER for primary care type services, so we knew that there was a need, and we knew that a lot of people maybe either didn’t have a primary care physician or they felt that their insurance status prohibited them from going and getting the services that they needed. So we knew that the need was there and we wanted to put something in place to help that.”

Patients wishing to make an appointment may call 937-484-1605 and specify if they need a particular service or a screening. Patient information will be retained within the Champaign County Health District for the purpose of medical records.