History | The Program | Program Components | Join the AMCS

In February of 1984, Dr. Thomas Hawkins agreed to chair a committee to explore the problem of indigent health care in Alachua County and possible ways in which the physicians of the Alachua County Medical Society could address unmet needs. In September of the same year, Dr. Hawkins made his report to the ACMS board and the board voted to implement an indigent care program.

Dr. Mark Barrow and Dr. James McGuigan worked with Dr. Hawkins to recruit physician support for the program. Dr. Hawkins, Dr. Whit Curry and Dr. Art Day served as directors of the evolving program. In 1993, Dr. Anthony McDonald became the We Care Chairman.

The We Care Physician Referral Network, overseen by the Medical Society, became a public-private partnership in April of 1990 when the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners funded a Network Coordinator position and data collection activities as recommended by the Alachua County Health Care Board. Through this alliance, the Alachua County Medical Society, the Department of Health, the County Commission and local hospitals, committed to meeting the need for a more organized approach to providing indigent medical care to needy residents.

The We Care program received statewide attention in the early 1990s. The We Care Physician Referral Network model was so successful that physicians and staff from the Alachua County Medical Society took the program on the road (1991-93). They met with medical societies throughout Florida and provided technical assistance to them as they developed their own programs. Over the next five years, volunteer medical programs were established across the State of Florida, from the panhandle eastward to the Atlantic coast, south to the tip of the peninsula, and around the gulf coast. The programs that arose weren’t cookie-cutter copies of the Alachua County We Care model. Instead, communities were encouraged to formulate programs based on the needs of the local community. The Florida Medical Association recognized the Alachua County Medical Society’s We Care Physician Referral Network as an innovative and effective model. The program received recognition from the State Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services and the Network coordinator provided training and technical assistance to many other communities.

By the end of 1994, Alachua County physicians and hospitals had provided nearly 5 million dollars in free health care to hundreds of uninsured residents via the We Care Network.

In response to a growing need for dental care, an oral health component of the We Care Network was considered. The anecdotal evidence was frightening and clear. Oral health was not a high priority for residents with incomes below federal poverty levels. Adults with low incomes rarely received preventive dental care and often sought care only when in pain. Poor oral dentition affected overall health, impacted work performance, and needed to be addressed. In 1993, Project Dental Care was established in cooperation with the Alachua County Dental Association and during its first year of operation boasted nearly $50,000 in free dental services to the uninsured and needy. When demand for volunteer dental services exceeded the resources of volunteer dentists in private practice, Santa Fe Community College, a local educational institution with a dental hygiene program, offered to assist the Network. This new collaboration resulted in the expansion of the program. Participants received pre-treatment evaluations, cleanings, x-rays, and treatment plans as well as post-treatment maintenance. A brand new clinic-based initiative was also developed at the Community College, in cooperation with the University of Florida College of Dentistry and the Alachua County Dental Association. The We Care Network Oral Health Component currently is in its sixth year and has provided more than $280,000 in volunteer dental care since its inception in January 1993.

In 1995 when the Alachua County Health Department capped its primary care enrollment in response to severe budget restrictions, new patients had to look elsewhere for medical care. The We Care Physician Referral Network, with the help of the Health Care Board and the support of primary care physicians and hospitals, developed and implemented a program for the provision of primary and preventive medical care. This program has provided medical care to more than 300 residents. The Alachua County Department of Social Services contributed to the effort by providing funding for prescription medications. Other medical clinics worked closely with the Network to prevent the duplication of services and to maximize available resources.