Overview:
-The Malta Clinic has served more than 20,000 uninsured, low-income Detroit area patients since opening in 2004.
-Many of the clinic's patient have chronic disease, says medical director Dr. Edward Jelonek Jr.
-"We provide their medications for free right here, so they don't have to go anywhere else. And we also offer some lab services and X-ray services."
Detroiter Milton Lomax, a retired railroad worker, is no stranger to the steep costs of U.S. medical care. The 75-year-old, who requires ongoing treatment for an eye injury, feels today’s prices are out of reach for him.
“They’re too high,” he says. “I can’t afford the medications. It’s ridiculous.”
Lomax isn’t alone. Fifty-seven percent of Michigan adults experienced health care burdens in 2021, and 78% expressed concerns about affording health care in the future, according to an Altarum Healthcare Value Hub study. What’s more, 32% of state residents ages 19-64 stopped taking their medication as prescribed due to cost-related issues in 2017, according to the state of Michigan.
Fortunately, Lomax receives assistance from a local health care provider, the Malta Dental and Medical Clinic, which not only takes care of his basic medical needs but also covers the cost of his prescriptions.
The Detroit-based medical center is a free clinic, a nonprofit health care facility that offers services to underinsured or uninsured patients for little or no cost. The clinic fills a need in Detroit, where 7% of the general population — and 21% of the Latino/Hispanic population — are uninsured, according to a 2024 Detroit Future City report.
For Lomax, the clinic offers a real helping hand.
“It’s just a beautiful thing for inner city people,” he says. “Whatever’s going on with you, they take care of it.”
The Malta Clinic’s tradition of care
Since opening its doors in 2004, the Malta Clinic has served over 20,000 uninsured, low-income Detroit-area residents. The facility, funded through a combination of grants and private donations, serves about 800 patients annually.
The Malta Clinic provides an average of 75 dentures or partials, 50 pairs of glasses, and 440 prescriptions to clients each year. Care is given free of charge to patients who are unable to obtain insurance, and the clinic works to connect eligible individuals with insurance providers.
Affiliated with the Order of Malta, a Catholic religious organization, the clinic began more than 20 years ago in the basement of St. Leo’s Church on Grand River Avenue.
“We were asked by Bishop (Thomas) Gumbleton to start a medical clinic back in 2004. So we did. The Order of Malta has a tradition of taking care of the sick and the poor,” says Tom Larabell, the Malta Clinic’s board president and CEO.
In April, the clinic moved from Detroit’s North End to a larger, more accessible facility at 10301 Woodward Ave. It shares the space with Catholic Social Services of Southeast Michigan, a charitable organization that operates a food pantry, clothing closet, and other services on site.
Detroit clinic offers dental, vision care: ‘Professional and patient’
The Malta Clinic’s staff is a team of over 300 volunteer doctors and pre-professional students. In addition to treating injuries and conducting physicals and pregnancy screenings, the medical clinic treats ongoing conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, hypoglycemia, and asthma.
Many of the Malta Clinic’s patients have chronic disease, said Dr. Edward Jelonek Jr., Malta’s medical director. “We provide their medications for free right here, so they don’t have to go anywhere else. And we also offer some lab services and X-ray services.”
The health center added a dental clinic to its operations in 2006 and a vision clinic in 2022.
Volunteer dentists handle exams, extractions, fillings, cleanings, dentals, and partials for patients. Ophthalmologists and optometrists with the eye clinic conduct eye exams, help with glaucoma management, and provide prescription glasses.
Dr. Gerald Stefan, a University of Detroit Dental School graduate who ran his own practice in Rochester Hills for 42 years, volunteers with the dental clinic. He said he’s committed to treating everyone who comes into the clinic the same way he treated people in private practice.
“We do all the services to try and keep their mouths healthy,” says Stefan. “We listen, we talk to patients, and bring them into the conversation about the treatment. We try to be respectful of everybody.”
The Malta Clinic’s renovation, innovation
The coming months promise to be a busy time for the Malta Clinic.
Earlier this year, the Malta Clinic moved its operations to a former CVS building in Detroit’s New Center area. The previous location at 8642 Woodward Ave. was cramped and spread out over two floors. The new space has more room and parking than the previous North End location, and is projected to accommodate 25%-30% more patients.
While the Malta Clinic is operating at its new site, a lot of work remains to be done to adapt the space to its needs. Plans are underway to create four dental operating spaces, two medical treatment areas, and three ophthalmology exam rooms. Renovations are expected to begin this fall and wrap by the end of the year. The Malta Clinic will remain open during construction.
The facility plans to start a dermatology clinic starting this month. Demand is high, with 16 people already on a waitlist to be seen, according to the Malta Clinic. In the future, the clinic aims to add other specialties, like podiatry.
At the moment, the Malta Clinic is busy getting the word out about its new location. While the clinic’s administrators are certainly interested in connecting with new patients and funders, they said their biggest priority is reaching potential volunteers.
“We’re looking for volunteers, doctors, nurses, pharmacy techs, and pharmacists. We’ve been very successful with pre-med and pre-dental (students),” said Jelonek.
“The big issue is trying to recruit physicians and dentists to come just one day a week. (Even) one day a month would help out tremendously.”
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