When the Good Samaritan Clinic opened in 2001 to provide medical care to uninsured patients in Lowndes County, it was thriving.
But as the years went on and the health care industry underwent a few tectonic shifts – namely the introduction of the Affordable Care Act and the COVID 19 pandemic – the clinic’s new patient numbers began to drop, Dr. William Rosenblatt, who chairs the clinic’s executive board, told members of the Rotary Club of Columbus on Tuesday.
An average of more than 600 new patients a year soon dropped to a steady 20 to 30 annually, he said.
“We went a time weathering these changes without any real pivot in our model of how we serve patients,” Rosenblatt, who also specializes in internal medicine at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, said during the meeting at Lion Hills Center. “… We had a sense that we just weren’t meeting the need where the need was at, so we had to pivot.”
Located on College Street, the clinic has four exam rooms where patients can receive basic primary health care services at absolutely no cost as well as access to prescriptions and basic lab panels through the clinic’s partnerships with Roberts Apothecary and Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle.
In the past, patients had to be unemployed, uninsured and meeting low income requirements to be eligible for service at the clinic. In an effort to realign the clinic’s mission with local needs, Rosenblatt said eligibility expanded to include patients who are employed and underinsured as well.
Rosenblatt said the clinic also expanded eligibility to people outside of Lowndes County.
“If you live in this region, and you need health care, we will see you,” Rosenblatt said. “No strings attached.”
Rosenblatt said the changes have brought a wave of growth to the clinic, which has experienced a 400% increase in new patient visits over the last two years. In 2025 alone, he said the clinic has already had 35 new patients.
Expanding services, building partnerships
Rosenblatt said the next step in growing the clinic is adding specialty care options, like dental, optometry and nutrition services.
“Our primary aim is to sort of rebuild our presence in Columbus as a go-to stop,” he said. “I think what we do best is we are a one to two year safety net for chronic disease management. That’s really where we shine, and it starts by increasing awareness.”
Rosenblatt is especially interested in adding a teaching kitchen to the clinic, where patients could learn kitchen skills while working with food that offers health benefits.
“When you think about it, all chronic disease is fundamentally rooted in nutrition, and particularly bad nutrition,” he said. “So if we can teach people the skills of building healthy meals from the ground up, it’s going to help cure a lot of the chronic disease burden we’re faced with.”
Funding will be the primary hurdle in bringing new services to the clinic, but Rosenblatt said he believes there are enough people who are enthusiastic about supporting the cause. The next critical step for the clinic, he said, is to continue building on partnerships both with institutions and individual community members.
“We would need folks who are chefs (and) nutritionists partnering with the doctor-volunteer staff that’s already in place in order to really build that sort of education curriculum for patients,” he said. “We’re not just interested in monetary donations. Sweat equity (and) your talents are also definitely welcome. If you can paint a wall, if you can answer a phone, your talents will be well put to use at the Good Samaritan Clinic.”
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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