PASCO COUNTY

County Profile:

1998 population 323,158. Twenty –three percent of the population is below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. The major city is New Port Richey.

Health Care Access:

According to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, in 1998, Pasco County had 470 medical doctors, 48 osteopathic physicians, 74 dentist, and 3,052 registered nurses actively licensed.

Status of Volunteer Efforts:

The CARES Senior Health Clinic, which operates out of the Claude Pepper Senior Center in New Port Richey, provides low income and under-insured seniors, 55 years and older, limited medical care. The clinic is currently open Monday through Friday, 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. CARES is seeking volunteer health care professionals of different specialties. For more information contact: CARES, Senior Health Clinic, 6640 Van Buren Street, New Port Richey, Florida, 34653, Attn: Lee Fenton, Clinic Coordinator, (727) 844-3077.

The Senior Health Clinic, a project of Community Aging and Retirement Services, Inc. and the Pasco County Health Department has a staff of volunteer retired health care professionals.

Farmworkers Self-Help, Inc provides free or low cost primary health care, specialty care, prescription medicine for farmworkers who do not qualify for Medicaid or Medicare. The free clinic, La Cassia de Esperanto y Salud (House of Hope and Health) began operations in 1994.

Volunteer doctors have been providing services at the free clinic every Saturday from 11:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. La Cassia de Esperanto y Salud is seeking Spanish speaking medical professionals. For additional information contact: Farmworkers Self-Help, 37240 Lock Street, Dade City. Florida, 33525 Attn: Margarita Room, Executive Director (352) 567-1432.