The Philippine Nurses Association of Northeast Florida (PNANEF) Volunteer Clinic promoted health equity by addressing three major health determinants: healthcare access and quality among uninsured residents of the county, economic stability of the neighborhood, education access, and quality of their patients through several screenings such as cervical, hypertension, and diabetes; follow-up teaching including ongoing education of their staff and nurse volunteers who were mostly PNAA members. The chapter collaborated with the City of Jacksonville and several organizations, including WE CARE JAX, a non-profit organization that provides specialty referrals for people with no insurance, and with Evexia Diagnostics, a laboratory service provider that offered a low fee laboratory services through a contract with LabCorp.

This Volunteer Clinic started in 2017 and has been ongoing for six years, except during COVID, in February of 2020, and has been operational every first Saturday of the month in one of the Duval County Health Department buildings. It provides basic medical services free of charge to the uninsured, which is one of the eligibility criteria, including blood work and needed preventative screenings. A comprehensive patient education on-site followed thereafter.

The outcomes of this project are: 1) Advocacy for self-sufficiency and self-care encouraged the uninsured patients to stay healthy to get back into the workforce and secure their own health insurance. The clinic then served as a bridge to respond temporarily to their healthcare needs. 2) An environment of learning is consistently fostered through patient education and nursing mentorship. 3) A patient’s personal commitment to improve their health and adhere to treatment plans is built as evidenced by Patient Satisfaction Surveys and the graphic chart displaying the demands of this clinic. 4) The achievement of specific patient goals showed improved blood pressure readings and other laboratory values such as hemoglobin A1C and cholesterol levels which then remarkably impacted improved disease awareness and compliance. 5) Beyond the walls of the clinic, the PNANEF volunteers are active participants of the Kabalikat Emotional Wellness Program and have extended their services through participation in the Philippine Embassy Consular Outreach Services, including the Jacksonville community-wide hypertension and diabetes screening and teaching clinics.

As evidenced, the City Government of Jacksonville, Florida, has recognized the members of this Volunteer Clinic and its PNANEF volunteers for their exemplary community service in promoting health equity and community building.