Surgery Center of Lynchburg allocates $1 million to charity clinics

The Surgery Center of Lynchburg has allocated more than $1 million to the Virginia Association of Free & Charitable Clinics, money that will support more than 10 free clinics, the association announced Thursday in a news release.

The majority of the funding will go to the Free Clinic of Central Virginia in downtown Lynchburg to provide medical and dental care, pharmacy services and health education to community members without health insurance.

“The Surgery Center has been a strong partner of ours,” Christina Delzingaro, CEO of the Lynchburg free clinic, said in a statement. “At a time when the Free Clinic of Central Virginia is taking care of more patients than ever, this unexpected funding from the Surgery Center will make it possible for us to serve even more — especially as we are getting ready to embark on major clinic renovations. Support of this magnitude makes a huge difference.”

Virginia’s Certificate of Public Need (COPN) law allows state health commissioners to place conditions on an applicant’s certificate that require the facility to provide a certain amount of care to indigent patients. One way to meet that requirement is for facilities governed by COPN, such as the Surgery Center of Lynchburg, to make contributions to clinics in medically underserved localities within the facility’s service area. According to VAFCC, this is the largest COPN charity care allocation by an individual facility in the state.

Remaining funds will be shared by other free clinics in Southwest Virginia, including Roanoke, Wytheville, Stuart, Daleville, Bristol, Rocky Mount, Pulaski, Galax, Wise, Marion and Richlands. The amounts going to each clinic are determined by their distance from the Surgery Center, VAFCC said.

“These clinics are a lifesaving investment and play an important role in safeguarding our region’s sickest, most vulnerable and voiceless,” Surgery Center board member Tim Courville said in a statement.