SAN ANTONIO – In two weeks, a clinic that opened its doors to uninsured and under-insured patients will be be forced to close because of a lack of funding.
Faith Family Clinic has served more than 6,000 patients between its two locations on the city's west and north sides for the last six years.
Donna Russell, a diabetic, is one of those patients. She said she turned to clinic in 2011 when she needed to find a doctor fast.
"My family falls in between. We don't make enough to afford the high insurance rates and we make too much to be able to qualify for any type of assistance," Russell said.
At Faith Family Clinic, Russell said she found not only affordable care, but a faith-based staff who really cared about her and her family.
At the end of the year, she'll have to start looking for another doctor.
"I just cried and cried," Russell said. "Because I'm losing Penne, I'm losing Miranda, Millie and people that know me and know my situation."
Also taking it hard is Faith Family Clinic nurse practitioner Penne Jaster.
"It's heart-breaking," Jaster said. "Many people have come through surgeries and back and have been able to recover and do well. They have their diabetes under control and their high blood pressure."
Jaster said she hopes the closure won't be permanent.
"My hope is that eventually I'll be back in this market and back into this place where we can have this service for people," Jaster said.
Russell also hopes the clinic will open again.
"Knowing that it's closing, I have that fear all over again because I don't know who I'm going to go to," Russell said. "I don't know who's going to get my medical records and I don't know who's actually going to know me."
The Faith Family Clinic will officially close its doors Dec. 31. In the meantime, staff members will be working to get the medical records of their 6,000 active patients transferred.