Free Medical and Dental Clinic celebrates over half a century helping community

Iowa City, Iowa (KCRG) - Iowa City’s Free Medical and Dental Clinic is marking over 50 years Thursday by announcing $1,00,000 grant from the city of Iowa City that will allow them to nearly double the services being offered including simultaneously offering acute, specialty, and chronic clinics.

“It’s incredible we’re really crowded,” Jennie Schmidt, the Executive Director, said. “The halls are lined with equipment we have the blessings of a lot of specially volunteers so, but we have our ophthalmology equipment and our prenatal equipment in the halls we’re just out of space.”

They also congratulated Barbara Vinograde on her retirement and thanking her for 30 years of service, including more than a decade as executive director.

In 2022, the Clinic served 1,448 individuals through 5,560 visits

According to the clinic, 72 percent of their patients are below the poverty level and 96 percent have no insurance or are under insured.

The clinic was founded in 1971 and is the second-oldest continuously operating free clinic in the country.

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