History

The Clinic's History

The First Presbyterian Church Wausau Free Clinic was organized in 2018 by Jeff Oswald, MD, Jeffrey Todd, MS, Paula Vogt, RN, church leadership and other community volunteers. They were motivated to start the clinic by an acute awareness of the lack of available and culturally appropriate community resources to offer primary care medical services to underserved populations while addressing significant social and financial barriers.

Initially, the plan was to remodel space on the lower level of the church in which to operate the clinic. We initiated a capital development campaign and obtained zoning approval. Anxious to get started, we began seeing homeless individuals in weekly clinics at Catholic Charities Warming Center, in cooperation with medical students from MCW. Then something remarkable happened: We were invited to join the Community Partners Campus (CPC) as a charter tenant. We wholeheartedly accepted, despite knowing it would take some time to organize, design and fund the project.

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and awaiting CPC development, we concluded we needed more space. In the fall of 2020, we moved to expanded but temporary facilities at First United Methodist Church along with Catholic Charities Warming Center. We operated there for two years and expanded services to all low income, uninsured residents of Wausau, Marathon County, and surrounding area.

In early December 2022, and with much fanfare, we moved into expanded state-of-the-art medical facilities in the Community Partners Campus on Grand Ave., Wausau. By co-locating with other essential human services, such as Neighbor's Place and North Central Community Action Program, we are able to offer our patients a far more accessible and comprehensive array of medical and support services without duplication. We continue to expand our scope of services, our volunteer base and the quality of care we provide.