EAST LONGMEADOW – After 20 years of serving the community, Pioneer Valley Free Health Services is left without a location.

Pioneer Valley Free Health Services provides health care to individuals who are underinsured or don’t have insurance. The organization is completely non-profit and ran by volunteers.  Patients are not charged for the care they receive.  The owner of their current location at 281 Maple Street is selling the building, leaving the group to scramble for a new location or cease their services for good.

For the past 15 years the organization has used Dr. Robert Howe’s Reproductive Medicine Center of Western Massachusetts building once a week on Wednesday evenings from 6:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., free of charge. 

Following their use, the group cleans the entire building from top to bottom, making sure they leave the space cleaner than how it came.

A husband and wife team, Beth and Richard Shepherdson, conceived Pioneer Valley Free Health Services two decades ago.  Richard served as the original executive director, and Beth was a Psychologist.  Originally, the organization served only mental health patients and offered counseling services. Soon after, the group morphed to offer medical services. 

Volunteer coordinator for Pioneer Valley Free Health Services Linda Taupier has been serving the group since 2003.  Taupier notes it has seen between eight to 10 people each week.

“There’s a definite need for medical attention.  We deal with a lot of diabetic management and chronic medical issues.  We don’t do emergency situations, no surgery, we don’t have dressings,” Taupier explained.

When Pioneer Valley Free Health Services began, drug companies used to give samples to the group to prescribe to their patients for free, if necessary, according to Taupier.  When television advertising became more prevalent for drug companies, the organization noticed samples would come less and less, and then eventually ceased.  Since the group is non-profit, they rely on the relationships they’ve created over the years with Life Laboratory out of Mercy Hospital and Baystate Radiology and Imaging for free services.

“We exist on small grants from community foundations and monetary donations,” Nurse Cheryl Sheils said.  Sheils is a professor for Elms College School of Nursing by day, and volunteers for Pioneer Valley Free Health Services by night.

All of the nurses and physicians who volunteer for the organization have day jobs in their profession.  According to Taupier, there are 45 volunteers all together.  Most of the volunteers serve on a rotation, nurses, physicians, and front desk employees come in once a month.  Some volunteers, however, give their time once a week.  There are volunteers from the local churches, from Baystate and Mercy medical centers, as well as volunteers from the education field representing Elms College, Springfield Technical Community College and Holyoke Community College.

When the clinic originated, Sheils said they thought they would put themselves out of business within five years due to Mass. Health’s introduction in 2006.  While the group started with about 30 patients each week, when Mass. Health began, they noticed a shift in clientele, but not a cease in service.

“At first the population was white, low socio-economic level.  Now it’s more so immigrants because they don’t qualify for Mass. Health.  We had a family from Africa who came here and was able to receive their medication until they moved back,” Sheils said.

Generally, Pioneer Valley Free Health Services sees young to middle aged adults.  The group has had a pediatrician who visits once a month, as well as women’s health care provider.

On Aug. 9, Pioneer Valley Free Health Services completed their final clinic for the foreseeable future.  While they’re actively searching for a new location, Taupier says this is a challenge, as not many venues that accommodate the type of work they do will allow them to use the space free of charge.

“The current physical set up we have is conducive, we need at a minimum of three if not four examining rooms, as well as a medical office area and storage for documents and patient files,” Taupier explained.

Taupier noted that almost all of the churches in East Longmeadow have reached out and told the clinic that they’re welcome to do their work there.  However, Taupier says that while this is a generous and appreciated offer, they still need the examination room space for patients.

“We would like to stay close to East Longmeadow or in East Longmeadow because our patient population is here.  So many volunteers live in East Longmeadow,” Taupier said.

The clinic will be moved out of their current location by Aug. 26, however patients will still have access to their records by calling the Pioneer Valley Free Health Services phone number.  

Though the group expressed feelings of sadness as they completed their final clinic, they also noted a sense of accomplishment for the 20 years of service they’ve dedicated to the community.  To inquire about a new location or for more information on Pioneer Valley Free Health Services, call 525-3866.