Donas Cole, President-Elect of the Rotary Club of McKinney Sunrise presented a check for $2,500 to Mollie McCune, Board President of the Children and Community Health Center of McKinney at Rotary’s weekly meeting on June 9. Ms. McCune told a fascinating story about the creation of the current health center that came from a dream by the founder, Mary Nelle Cummins.
In 1998, Mrs. Cummins awakened from a dream about a children’s medical clinic that would be available to treat children whose families had limited means. She quickly wrote what she remembered in the dream which included smiling and comforting medical personnel, a rocking chair, colorful posters, stuffed animals and toys. Although her dream was delayed because of a personal illness, it was eventually realized when she read a devotional written by a retired physician who had started a clinic called “Volunteers in Medicine.”
The Children and Community Health Center, also known as CCHC, is an affiliate of Volunteers in Medicine Institute, which is funded by McNeil-Tylenol. The Volunteers in Medicine Institute known as VIMI, offers training and resources, but no monetary support. The original Volunteers in Medicine clinic is located at Hilton Head, SC and was founded by Dr. Jack McConnell. Until 2008, CCHC was the only Volunteers in Medicine clinic in Texas.
CCHC is a 501 ( c ) 3 non-profit free medical clinic serving the medically uninsured and underserved residents of McKinney and northern CollinCounty. Volunteer physicians, nurses, pharmacists, translators, and non-medical volunteers staff the clinic. CCHC has one part-time paid clinic manager, one paid full-time Executive Director, and three paid part-time Nurse Practitioners. All doctors donate their time.
Since CCHC opened its doors on August 2, 2004, there have been over 5,000 patient visits in space donated by the Medical Center of McKinney. The clinic is open four days a week in the Wysong Medical Building. CCHC also receives support from Presbyterian Hospital of Allen, Centennial Hospital of Frisco and Medical Center of McKinney and grants from the Collin County Healthcare Foundation since 2004. The clinic sees no patients who have medical insurance, including Medicaid or medical assistance. Patients are required to submit three documents before being treated—a picture ID, a utility bill showing a current address, and a statement of income. CCHC sees patients whose income is between the federal poverty level and 200% above.
Judge Nathan White is the current President of the Rotary Club of McKinney Sunrise, which is one of over 67 clubs in Rotary District 5810 in North Texas that underwrites programs in global initiatives such as Polio-Plus, clean water, wheelchairs, shelter, disaster relief and literacy. The Rotary Club of McKinney Sunrise also supports local education initiatives such as the McKinney Education Foundation’s Classroom Teacher Grant program and resources for underprivileged children who attend the McKinney ISD with proceeds from their flag fundraising program.
For further information about CCHC, go to their website at www.cchc-vim.org or contact the clinic at 972-547-0606. For further information about the Rotary Club of McKinney Sunrise, “the flag club”, go to their website at www.mckinneysunriserotary.org or e-mail <flags@mckinneysunriserotary.org>.
