Bethel Free Health Clinic to Dedicate Garden to Doctors

The Bethel Free Health Clinic in Biloxi has been understaffed after one of its founding doctors passed away. The clinic has been managing and has decided to dedicate a garden to two special doctors.

Marco Valverde is a Costa Rican immigrant who just found out he has Type 2 Diabetes, and because he doesn’t have insurance, he goes to Bethel Free Health Clinic for treatment. Even though Valverde does not speak English, the clinic makes it work. Thom Davis, a Registered Nurse at Bethel Clinic, says, "He’s a very new diabetic. He did not know he was diabetic, and when we got to talk to him, we don’t talk to him, we talk to him through his wife, who speaks English very well."

Recently, the clinic experienced a shortage in physicians after one of its founding doctors, Edmund Crane, passed away, and another, David Clippinger, became ill. Dr. Joel Kavanagh of Bethel Clinic says, "Both excellent doctors, been in the community for probably 100 years. Between the two, they’ve seen everything. They’ve seen the healthcare system go from its infancy to where it is now, and Dr. Crane unfortunately passed, but they are both still instrumental in the success of this place."

Davis says even with its shortage of doctors, the clinic never turns patients away. Davis also says, "They’re a little bit adjusted on their schedule and we let them know that, but I’m not aware of any patient that has not been seen because there was not a physician here."

To honor the good doctors who made it their life’s mission to help underprivileged patients, the clinic will be dedicating a garden in their memory on Sunday. Kavanagh closes, "Just to kind of give them the respect that they deserve for treating the underserved in the community for so long."

The clinic is experiencing a shortage of doctors, so if you are a physician and would like to volunteer your services, please call (228) 594-3640.