BRADENTON – Proper medical care is important, even when you do not have medical insurance. The Turning Points Medical/Dental Clinic provides free and high quality care to uninsured residents of Manatee County who meet age and income eligibility. These free services are available at Turning Points at 701 17th Ave West in Bradenton, Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm.
The Medical Clinic offers primary and specialty care services along with pharmacy consultation and services. All Turning Points patients receive a primary care provider/physician and if needed, assigned a specialty physician after the primary care appointment. Care is provided by staff physicians, nurse practitioners, volunteer physicians, volunteer nurses, medical and pharmacy students from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) and other volunteer providers.
“We are a community health center. We do not just treat our patients, we educate them about diabetes, COVID, and a wide range of illnesses. We also provide a place for pharmacy and medical students from LECOM”, states Turning Points’ Medical Director Dr. Art Cohen. He goes on to say, “We provide care for free, we do not charge for services. A lot of people in our community think that we only treat the homeless, that is a misnomer. Our services are utilized by a large range of residents including lower income workers and also residents who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic.”
Services include treating patients for chronic conditions: asthma, allergies, COPD, hypertension, diabetes, foot issues. There is on-site testing for blood glucose, cholesterol and Hepatitis C. Turning Points was the first medical clinic in the state of Florida to offer free Hepatitis C treatment. Specialty services include cardiology, gynecology, endocrinology, pulmonology, audiology, podiatry, optometry, acupuncture and others. Smoking cessation classes are also offered.
“We supply healthcare for the employees of Manatee County small businesses that can’t afford to provide healthcare for their workers. Every person we divert away from our local emergency rooms, saves the community money. What we do is irreplaceable”, states Dr. Cohen. He continues, “We have the ability and facility to care for more patients. We want to get the word out that we are here with free quality medical care for our residents in need”.
Manatee County residents should call 941-567-6156 or email info@tpmanatee.org to inquire if they qualify for services.
About Turning Points
Turning Points provides a remarkable variety of services designed to assist individuals and families on their path to financial stability, independence and a healthy future. Turning Points provides day resource services (such as hot showers, laundry services, clothing, food), employment services, rental and utility assistance, veteran’s services (employment, housing and childcare), and free medical and dental care for the uninsured. 8,700 men, women and children received help last year with critical services targeted to the essential needs of people in crisis. Turning Points can only provide this high standard of service because of our caring, compassionate volunteers and strong community support.
For more information, visit http://tpmanatee.org/
