In March of 2013, Mission of Mercy opened our sixth clinic. The Murphy site operates from the Murphy Education and Health Center in the heart of South Central Phoenix. The clinic would not be possible without the commitment of the Murphy School District, and investments from visionary funders such as the Bob and Renee Parsons Foundation, Phoenix Rotary 100 and BHHS Legacy Foundation.
The Murphy neighborhood is largely minority and lives in extreme poverty (average income – $8,257). The area also has one of the highest uninsured populations in Maricopa County. Virtually 100% of neighborhood children are eligible for free lunches and 70% of the adults have less than a high school education. For the first time, families now have access to highly-skilled doctors and no-cost prescription medications within their own neighborhood.
Collaborative clinic partners are instrumental to the foundation and growth of the Murphy Clinic and include the CASS Pediatric Dental Clinic and Esperanca, a global health organization with a focus on disease prevention, education and treatment. Advantages of our new site include: (1) providing families with a central location for primary health and dental needs; (2) integrated care model within programs; (3) ability to promote overall health and connection between dental and medical health; (4) ability to grow capacity within a targeted community; and (5) district partnership provides opportunities to access and treat more children as well as adults in the community.
Since opening the Murphy clinic, Mission of Mercy has provided 609 free doctors’ visits to men, women and children. During the past year, we have experienced steady growth and, as importantly, gained community trust. We now treat an average of 39 patients per clinic day and project reaching our goal of 50 patients per day by the fall of 2014.
