ROANOKE, Va. – The Bradley Free Clinic has opened its doors to low-income people seeking health care for nearly 50 years, but now those doors will stay open a lot longer.
The clinic announced on Friday it will be open every weekday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will start seeing patients with Medicaid. Previously, the clinic was only open Friday mornings, as well as Tuesday and Thursday evenings. The clinic will still be open on Tuesday and Thursday evenings in addition to the new hours.
"The need is great," said Bradley Free Clinic Executive Director Janine Underwood. "There are so many individuals in the community that have Medicaid and are unable to see providers."
Underwood says the reason the clinic could expand is because it was able to hire a full-time nurse practitioner with funds from the Virginia Healthcare Foundation.
"We've been a safety net in the community for so many years, and she truly believes in the mission of the clinic," Underwood said.
Reggie Long has been a patient at the clinic since a near-fatal diabetic emergency a year-and-a-half ago. He says he is happy to see the clinic stay open longer.
"Angels come with wings, but they also come with two doors with 'Bradley Free Clinic' in front of it," Long said. "So much they've done for me, and so much they've done for everybody. There's no way this community can do without them."
The Bradley Free Clinic has served the Roanoke Valley since 1974. You can make an appointment at the clinic at this link.