Effective April 15 non-residents of the Clinic’s service area will be charged a $5.00 service fee per visit. This charge has become necessary because of the “financial crunch” which has hit the Clinic particularly hard.
The Clinic must spend an average of $6.73 on each patient served. This is actual cash outlay which is spent on lab fees, medicine, dressings, etc. With the exception of a few administrative personnel, the staff of the Clinic is made up of volunteers. The $6.73 figure does not include any salary for them.
The actual value of an average Clinic visit, therefore, is much higher. The Clinic will continue to ask for a donation from each patient who is a resident of its service area. The amount of this donation is not fixed, however; only non-residents will be asked for the $5.00 minimum fee.
Originally published in The Paper, April 1975.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1975_04.pdf, printed page(s) 2; PDF page(s) 2.
