In 2004 Emerald Coast Fellowship
sponsored its first dental van ministry. We turned away more than 100 people
because there was more need than we had the ability to meet. After a thorough
study of the dental and medical needs of the community, the Fellowship voted in
2005 to approve the establishment of a medical ministry for the low income,
uninsured of our area.
In early 2006, Mrs. Kim Francks
was enlisted as our Clinic Administrator and Dr. Bob Persons was enlisted as
our Medical Director. Together with our then Director of Missions, Dr. Hershel
Adams, they enlisted a Board of Directors. The Board first met in June of 2006.
In August, Mrs. Mary Ann Hawkins was hired to serve as our first Office Manager.
Mrs. Hawkins immediately began
studying and visiting other free medical clinics. She took their best methods
and practices and established our original operating procedures. Fort
Walton Beach Medical Center
provided a brand new medical office suite for use by Crossroads
Center.
Lay and medical volunteers were
enlisted, and in January of 2007 we began seeing patients on Saturday mornings.
In the spring of 2007, we added Wednesday mornings to our schedule. In early
2009 Crossroads moved to its present location on the campus of First Baptist
Church of Valpariaso. Under the supervision of Dr. Mickey Hawkins an army of
volunteers remodeled the space in less than two months.
With God’s blessing, the
ministry grew rapidly until today we now have approximately 1,000 medical
patients per year and a growing dental ministry. In addition to medical and
dental care, Crossroads Center
provides mental health counseling by licensed providers. Our Patient Assistance
Program has provided more than $2,000,000.00 of free medicines for our
patients. Our patients also have the opportunity to visit with one of our Care
Team members. Our Care Team volunteers share with the patients the love of
Christ, pray with them and provide information about other community resources
that may be able to meet their needs.
Thanks to the contribution of
our volunteers, other individuals, churches, and civic organizations none of
our patients have ever been charged a penny. Your support through your prayers,
gifts and volunteer services are the means by which God’s love is shown to some
of the least among us.
Crossroads
Center continues to seek God’s
guidance in its ministry. We wait on the Lord, and he is blessing our efforts.
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