Presbyterian Medical Care Mission

The Presbyterian Medical Care Mission was founded in Abilene, Texas, in 1983, when endocrinologist Dr. Fred White, elders of the First Central Presbyterian Church, and other local leaders made the decision to address the growing number of uninsured people in the Abilene area. A dental clinic was added in 1999.
Today, the Mission is an ecumenical effort that offers health and dental care to low-income individuals and families, who pay based on a sliding scale. Those eligible lack private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid. The Mission provides care for a 22-county area in Texas that is about the size of Ohio and has 45,000 patients on record. That number grows by about 1,000 every year.
The Medical Care Mission saves the local healthcare economy about $108 million a year by offering patients a medical and dental home and by reducing the need for people to turn to the emergency room to receive their primary care.
Services include general health care, cavity fillings and tooth extractions, and attention to spiritual needs. About 50 medical patients and 20 dental patients are treated every day.
The Mission employs an executive director, a medical program director, two physicians, three medical assistants, a prescription assistance coordinator, a dental program director, a full-time dentist, a part-time dentist, two dental assistants, and a director of spiritual wellness. About 80-100 volunteers give of their time each week to keep the medical office running smoothly and to save on operational costs.
The Mission’s $1.3 million budget is supplied in part via donations from foundations, congregations of faith, and individuals. Additional funding comes from fees paid by patients and local organizations with which the Mission contracts to provide care, such as the City of Abilene’s Medical Assistance for Area Citizens program.

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