SINCLAIR HEALTH CLINIC
Sinclair Health Clinic provides primary care, preventative care, and prenatal care to low-income or uninsured people. It opened its doors in October 1986 as the Free Medical Clinic operating out of the basement of First Presbyterian Church. Local physicians volunteered their time one day a week to see uninsured patients. From the beginning, the clinic has operated without government funding, instead relying on private donations and grant money. The need for the clinic increased rapidly, causing the clinic to relocate to a nearby former fire hall also owned by First Presbyterian Church. It remained in that location until 2003 when it moved to its current home on the Our Health Campus. In
2017, the Board of Directors renamed the clinic after Dr. Terry Sinclair who served as President of the Board for 30 years. Dr. Sinclair was one of the first physicians to volunteer at the clinic and was a strong recruiter of other physicians to help the clinic serve our community.
With such a long history in Winchester, it is surprising how many people still don’t know about the clinic and its offerings. The clinic takes Medicaid patients as well as uninsured patients who earn up to three times the federal poverty level. Many hourly workers, part-time workers, and self-employed individuals qualify for free care. In 2023, Sinclair Health Clinic saw 2600 patients totaling around 11,000 visits! Of those 2600, about 1700 were uninsured. Patients who use the clinic have zero copay but may give a free will offering of $5 if they are able. There is a pharmacy on the ground floor that is open to anyone in the community. You can fill prescriptions for generic medicines at a fraction of the price of most other pharmacies. It does not accept insurance, yet it can still offer the lowest prices to the consumer because they pass on the savings offered to the clinic. The clinic is run by Executive Director Dr. Mercedes Abbet who recently celebrated one year with Sinclair Health Clinic. Dr. Abbet and her team are working to spread the word about the clinic, the pharmacy, and the continued need for more volunteer medical workers and funding. The clinic fills the medical gap in the Winchester area. It aims to increase medical care literacy in our community so that more people learn to take care of their health and visit their doctor with preventative care in mind. Healthy individuals with no major concerns should get a checkup annually, while those with chronic conditions need checkups at least 3 times per year.
Sinclair Health Clinic is hosting its next major fundraising event called Sinclair on the Green on September 19. It will be an outdoor, tented gala on the lawn of the Our Health campus. Tickets are expected to go on sale at the end of July. You can visit Sinclair Health Clinic at the Our Health Campus at 301 N Cameron St #100 or online at SinclairHealthClinic.org
