Community clinic with a heart 

In its first year of giving, the Prime Together Foundation provided a grant to Dakota Child and Family Clinic (DCFC), a nonprofit health care clinic that serves the needs of children and adults, regardless of their ability to pay. For 10 years, DCFC has provided high quality, patient-centric services in a caring atmosphere that is accessible and inclusive to meet the physical, social and mental health needs of all. 

“It’s gratifying to see Foundation gifts in action,” said Erin Feigal, chief human resources officer for Prime Therapeutics and Prime Together Foundation chair. “We know social determinants of health influence health outcomes and have an important impact on health equity. DCFC addresses a wide set of conditions, enabling them to support the community beyond health care, reducing longstanding inequities.” 

Many of DCFC’s patients have no insurance or inadequate insurance, which can create yearly out-of-pocket costs that working people cannot afford. Patients may lack access to reliable transportation, and others are new to the U.S., encountering language or legal barriers that can make a trip to the clinic fraught with confusion and fear.

Yvonne Wirsiy, nurse practitioner for DCFC, helps patients manage chronic conditions like diabetes in between scheduled checkups. Recently, a Spanish-speaking patient living two cities away from DCFC walked three hours to see Wirsiy. The patient arrived feeling dizzy, and they found that her blood sugar levels were unsafe. She said she’d stopped using insulin because she couldn’t afford it. DCFC gave her food to stabilize her sugar level, switched her prescription to a generic, found her a closer/more suitable pharmacy and provided her with a ride home. She is now being seen once a week and is appreciative of DCFC’s care. 

“Our staff has big hearts,” said Heather Tidd, executive director for DCFC. “We know our patients by name and I’m proud to say they feel safe and welcome at the clinic, which fosters a true sense of community.” 

You can help benefit organizations like DCFC by donating to the Prime Together Foundation today.