Home › News › May 2021

Dublin Rotary Club and MAP International Delivering Critical Medicine to J.O.Y. Medical Clinic

Monday, May 10th, 2021

The Rotary Club of Dublin and MAP International are teaming up to deliver life-saving medicine at no cost to the J.O.Y. Medical Clinic in Dublin.

Established in June 2012, J.O.Y. Medical Clinic is a volunteer-based nonprofit Christian health clinic that provides medical, dental and eye care services to those who live in Laurens County, are employed and without health insurance or to those who have been unemployed for 6 months or less and are actively seeking employment. Patients’ total household income must meet 200% or less of the Federal Poverty Level.  The medical and administrative office is located at 410 Academy Avenue in Dublin.

Saving Lives with Medicine is an initiative of Georgia Rotary Clubs and MAP International that supports free and charitable Georgia clinics with critical medicines and health supplies to uninsured patients. With the addition of the Dublin clinic, Rotary and MAP International are sending medicine to seven free and charitable clinics in Georgia reaching more than 4,200 patients.

“This partnership delivers medicines and supplies that improve the health of Georgians who struggle to treat their chronic diseases," said Rotary Club President Will Curry. He said the partnership focuses on medications for hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and asthma. Rotary pays for packaging, shipping and handling of the deliveries while MAP International works with pharmaceutical companies to collect, store and distribute medicines.

"Since the statewide project started in 2017, patient health conditions have improved significantly", Curry said. Clinics participating in Saving Lives with Medicine reported chronic disease conditions of patients have improved by 50% for patients with hypertension, 61% for patients with diabetes, 63% for patients with high cholesterol, and 82% for asthma patients.

“More than 150 million Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease and almost 30 million Americans are living with five or more chronic diseases,” said Rita Green, RN, Clinic Director of the J.O.Y. Medical Clinic. “Chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). More than two thirds of all deaths are caused by chronic diseases – in fact, chronic disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. We are so very excited to have the Dublin Rotary Club and MAP International as our partners at the J.O.Y. Medical Clinic! As a non-profit medical clinic, this partnership will support our efforts in providing life changing medications and supplies to our patients who live with chronic disease. These medications will improve our patient’s health, help control the disease, prevent complications, ER visits and hospitalizations. Mediations like insulin and inhalers cost several hundred dollars for just one vial or one inhaler and that’s only enough medicine to last about a month or even less. As you can see, the cost alone would prevent those without insurance from obtaining the live saving medications they need. Dr. Bob Shuman, the clinic’s Medical Director and the clinic staff are very thankful and look forward to working with the Dublin Rotary Club and MAP International!”