This story was written by Kimberly Getzinger, M.D., emergency medicine, Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital.

I wish more people knew about Trinity Community Care and our mission.

I am the medical director of the nonprofit free medical and dental clinic in Shelby Township. We provide care to the uninsured and underinsured people in our community, age 19 and up, who meet 250% of the federal poverty guideline.

We provide primary care services, have a gynecology clinic and a day dedicated to Spanish-speaking patients. Our “Amigos Medicos” Clinic is staffed by Spanish-speaking attending physicians and in affiliation with Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine students.

Our clinics are staffed by volunteer physicians, nurses and medical assistants. The family medicine residency volunteers one day a month and our other clinics are staffed by family medicine attendings, most Corewell Health-affiliated. We have an agreement with Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital, which provides lab and radiology services to our patients for no cost (up to an agreed upon yearly limit).

We opened our doors in December 2013. The idea for TCC came out of my medical mission work. I started going to Haiti in 2010 after the catastrophic earthquake. I lead the team which consisted of medical and dental volunteers. After going a few times, we decided to do “a mission at home,” giving us the idea for TCC.

We started with our mission dentist, his wife (a social worker), a fire chief/paramedic, my mother and two Trinity Lutheran Church members and created this clinic, which has been serving the community for 11 years!

The first few patients we helped are memorable, one with hepatitis and another with a blood clot in his leg. These people were our first patients with life-threatening conditions, and I will never forget them.

Throughout the years we have diagnosed multiple cancers and worked very hard to get the patients quick diagnostic studies, specialists to see them and help them obtain emergency Medicaid or charity care funding. All of these patients were so grateful and make this mission worth the work!

We also help patients out in other ways, providing assistance for housing when it’s cold, referrals for food, help with transportation and giving them a place to go for caring support and prayers.

We have had many challenges, but with persistence and faith in God we have overcome obstacles and have made a difference in hundreds of lives!

Through my mission work, I’ve learned that we are so lucky to be born in a country that has resources to help their people. It’s important to give back to your community and help out when you can!

If everyone had this attitude the world would be a much better place!

Interested in helping?

We are always looking for patients to serve and volunteer doctors, nurses, dentists, hygienists and office staff. We are funded by grants, donations and have a yearly fundraising gala, “A Night to Care,” which is Sept. 26, 2024.