Our History

The vision of a free medical clinic was begun in 1992, with consultation with Mr. Bruce Barragan, President of McLeod Regional Medical Center. We were encouraged to pursue this dream. The three challenges were recognized early on. The first was that of volunteer doctors and nurses. Dr. Myers Hicks canvassed the retired doctors and found many willing to serve in the clinic. Wessie Hicks assured that nurse volunteers were available to serve in the clinic.

The next hurdle was the matter of provision of protection from liability judgments. The legislature of South Carolina passed a law that exempt from liability those health professionals who treated the indigent and did not charge them.

The third obstacle was medical licensing. The medical licensing board of SC was most cooperative and agreed to issue a courtesy license to work in free clinics to all M.D.’s who had retired in good standing.

From the beginning, Mercy Medicine Clinic operated with a redemptive mission statement with three parts:

· The clinic will provide free quality medical care to the indigent people of our area following Christian principles.

· The clinic will provide volunteers an opportunity for meaningful service. Only as we serve do we foster self worth.

The hope is that in the clinic, the living out of the love of our Lord is so graphic that many will come to faith.

On October 25, 1994, the first clinic was held. The Manna House board voted to the umbrella organization under which the clinic served. Initially, the clinic was under the oversight and jurisdiction of the Manna House Board and staff. An advisory board for the clinic was soon established to rule and oversee the strictly medical matters of the clinic.

The initial doctors serving in the clinic were Dr. N.B. Baroody, Dr. Earl Jones, Dr. Myers Hicks, Dr Harry S. Allen Jr. and Dr. James Owen. The initial nurses were Anne Fisher, Kim Lawson, Jean Floyd and Rosemary Jellison. Among the receptionist ware Dottie Prescott, Nada Thomas and Jan Mullholand. The handyman was Bill Mullholand. The first year of the clinic, we saw patient on Tuesday mornings and served 420 patients. We continued to grow in numbers served and clinic activity.

Very soon found that nearly all our patients could not afford to pay for even their life saving medicine. We tried to meet this need using sample medicines, but had to begin to raise funds to pay for other life saving medicine. To avoid the plague of abuse of controlled substances, the Board of Mercy Medicine Clinic passed a regulation that no controlled substances would be ordered or provided by the clinic.

In 1998 the clinic was offered a much larger and more suited office suite at Lighthouse Ministries to work under the supervision of their board. It was soon obvious that this was not the best working arrangement, and Mercy Medicine Clinic became a separate entity with their own 501 C 3 recognition and approval. We attained this in January 2000. An independent Board of Directors was elected, and constitution and laws were drawn up and approved by the board. Initial board members were Myers Hicks, M.D., Chairman, N.B. Baroody, M.D. Vice Chairman, Berry Monroe, M.D., Berta Allen, R.N., Robin Stoupenos, R.N., Vicki Wheelus, Malcolm Rogers, Treasurer, and Jerry Langston, Pharmacy Consultant.

In 2004 we were blessed when the Carolinas Hospital System offered a commodious suite of offices for the clinic’s home at 514-E S. Dargan Street. The move was made and the clinic began to explode with progress in services and numbers. In 2003 we issued 4085 patient visits. In the spring, the process was begun to add retinal diagnosis and therapy to the services offered. Dr. Bill Croswell of Columbia offered his services once a month to run the retinal clinic. The generosity of the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation made possible the purchase of the necessary camera and laser equipment. In the first three months of this service, 140 patients were studied and treated.

In 2005 we will complete our dental facility under the guidance of Dr. Thad Davis and Charles Grace III. Restorative dental services, a preventative medicine measure will be offered to indigent patients.

We are in the process of surveying the clinic by the services of John McGinnis to organize personnel and services for maximizing effectiveness, efficiency and accountability. A major challenge has been the demand imposed by explosive growth requiring salaried personnel and funds to supply free medicine for the indigent. The medicine alone provided last year had a value of over half a million dollars.

Special note that should be taken of several benefactors that make the ministry of the clinic possible. From the beginning, McLeod Regional Medical Center and Carolinas Hospital Systems have provided lab and x-ray services to our patients. Practicing physicians have usually provided their services to referred patients from the clinic free of charge. Residents in the McLeod Family Practice program have helped by seeing patients in the clinic. Major donors from the beginning have been Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation, Aiken Foundation, Pee Dee Electric Coop and many other sustaining financial supporters.

What is next?—Only the Lord knows, and our commitment is to listen to him, to follow his leading, and to bring wholeness to this people and glory to him.

Among those who died while in service to the clinic are: Dr. Harry Allen, Dr. Swift Black, Dr. Earle Jones, Dr. Gordon Bobbet, Nurse Rosemary Jellison, and Receptionist Nada Thomas. Thanks be to God for their gift of service to the Lord and our patients.

To God be the glory!

Myers H. Hicks, M.D.

Founder and Servant of the clinic scribe

Phone: 843-667-9947

Fax: 843-667-0455

E-mail: mercy@bellsouth.net

To contact us:

Our History