A Haven in the City

An article in the Yale Journal of Public Health describes HAVEN, a Saturday morning free primary care clinic providing care to residents of the Fairhaven neighborhood in New Haven. HAVEN was conceived by and is staffed by students from Yale’s medical, public health, physician assistant and nursing schools and is held at the Fair Haven Community Health Center. The clinic provides an array of primary care services, including prescriptions, patient education, medical intepretation and social services, to uninsured adult Fairhaven residents free of charge. Patients get help accessing any care or services that can’t be provided on-site, as well as application assistance for public programs and hospital free care. HAVEN started in 2004 as a response to the growing need for services for uninsured community residents. As of May 2007, the average medical debt of HAVEN patients was $10,498, while the average annual income was $10, 274. The clinic is supported through donations and grants; no government funds are used.
Ellen Andrews