FAQ
What is CHH?
The Center for Healing & Hope is a faith-based not-for-profit urgent care center. The Center for Healing & Hope (CHH) has two clinics— in Elkhart and Goshen— both located in churches. CHH serves those without health insurance and without a family doctor. It has seven paid staff members and relies on volunteers such as doctors, nurses, chaplains, interpreters and administrators.
Read about our history.
Is CHH a charitable organization?
Yes, CHH is a charitable, not-for-profit organization, with 501(c)(3) status. This means that for all gifts given to CHH, the donors receive receipts that allow them to claim the gifts as tax-deductible when filing federal and state income taxes. CHH exists for the benefit of the community, not the benefit of specific individuals, organizations or businesses.
Who makes up CHH leadership?
The board of directors of CHH consists of eight members who volunteer their time in leading the organization:
Jorge A. Campos, chairman of the board, works at Boyd Corp as Business Executive Development.
Dr. Amanda Schmidt is vice chairperson of the board and is a physician with Goshen Family Physicians.
Ben Bontrager, treasurer of the board, is Director of Financial Services for Goshen Health.
Rev. Linda Sue Hewitt is the secretary of the board and is the pastor of Plymouth Church of Christ.
Richard Aguirre, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at Goshen College, is the founder of Elkhart County HOPE.
Simona Flores is a nurse and is director of Goshen Health Care at Home.
Susan Stiffney is a nurse, working with Goshen Community Schools.
Sharon Miller is a nurse, recently retired as clinic manager for the Center for Heaing & Hope.
Tim Stair, past chairman, is a part-time pastor and part-time consultant in marketing and strategic planning with Mennonite Health Services.
What kind of people do you see?
Most of the patients we see (eight out of ten) are between the ages of 18 and 64 who don’t have health insurance. Nine out of ten patients have income below the Federal Poverty Guidelines. (See more about our patients.)
Do you serve undocumented immigrants?
The heart of our mission is to provide opportunities and services for the poor and immigrant populations of Goshen and surrounding localities in a Christ-like manner so that such populations will become healthy physically, mentally and spiritually. We do not require proof of legal status nor ask for a Social Security Number. In addition, we provide assistance and resources for immigrants through Elkhart County HOPE.
Learn more about our mission and the EC HOPE network.
What kind of medical staff do you have?
The doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners who treat patients are volunteers. They are active in their own medical practices or they are retired from medical practice. Some of the nurses in our clinics are student nurses, earning credit for the care they give under supervision. The only paid medical staff at CHH are the clinic manager and the executive director, who are nurses.
Does everyone who comes see a doctor?
When someone arrives at CHH and has finished filling out the initial forms, the clinic nurse manager will talk with the patient to see whether we can help them or not. There are some services we do not offer, such as birth control, vaccines and immigration and disability physicals. If we are able to help the person, he or she will meet with a doctor or nurse practitioner.
Do patients need to make an appointment?
No. Our clinic is on a first-come-first-served basis. Registration is from 4:30-5:30 pm on Monday in Elkhart and Tuesday and Thursday in Goshen.
How much do you charge for patients to see the doctor?
To see the doctor we ask for a contribution of $40.00. Patients can pay with cash, credit card, debit card or check.
What if the patient can’t pay at the time of the visit… can they pay the next day?
No. Payments must be made during the time of the visit. However, if the patient has never been to our clinic or if they have been to our clinic but it’s the first time they can’t pay, our patient advocate will honor a verbal statement of income. If an existing patient returns and is unable to pay again, they can apply for a discounted visit price or a voucher.
What if a patient is unemployed… can they still see the doctor?
Yes. Our patient advocate works with the patient one-on-one to determine the patient’s specific hardship and to determine their payment amount using the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
Do you require patients to bring proof of income?
If the patient wants to apply for the discounted price based on the sliding fee scale, yes; the patient must bring three most recent paycheck stubs. If unemployed, the patient must bring letter verifying this. If on disability, the patient must bring proof of income or letter stating their situation.
Do you see patients with health insurance or in the process of obtaining insurance?
Yes. Although we do not accept insurance we can see patient who has insurance as long as they pay the visit price of $40.
What if an uninsured patient needs to be referred to a specialist… how do you help them?
Our patient advocate works closely with the patient to consider different options. If possible, the patient will meet with an insurance navigator at the clinic to apply for health insurance to help in paying for additional care. If the patient does not qualify for insurance, the patient advocate will refer them to the most financially convenient place for the patient’s specific case.
What other services do you provide?
Aside from doctor visits, we provide referrals to specialty medicine, diabetic education, school physicals, OB-GYN checkups with an appointment, free insurance navigation services, referrals to other community resources and English-Spanish interpretation. We occasionally provide health screenings at other locations, announcing these through Facebook. (Read more.)
How can I or others become involved with CHH?
There are many ways to volunteer at CHH. At our clinics, we rely on volunteer doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, Spanish-English interpreters, and office staff.
With Elkhart County HOPE, volunteers can help immigrants with transportation, by accompanying them in finding community resources, and in a variety of other ways. To become involved as a volunteer, complete our volunteer form or send a message to info@CHHclinics.org.
Learn more about volunteering.
What new efforts has CHH pursued?
- CHH recently increased the presence of Latinos on our board and staff to represent the majority of the patients we serves.
- The Goshen clinic now offers diabetic education in Spanish for people newly diagnosed with diabetes and pre-diabetes.
- Facebook and YouTube are now two very active sources where you can find updates and videos about our current and upcoming goals (in both Spanish and English).
- Elkhart County HOPE is expanding our ability to help immigrants, especially those who face challenges living in this area.
How will my financial contribution be used?
Contributions are used to support the programs and services of the Center for Healing & Hope. Because we rely on volunteers to provide the medical services of our clinics, most of the contributions to CHH are devoted to coordinating the direct services of the clinics, and the network of support provided by Elkhart County HOPE.
How is CHH different from other medical clinics?
- CHH is a faith-based clinic, which means we care about more than the physical health of our patients. For example, we have a chaplain available to meet with patients.
- The medical staff who treat patients are all volunteers. They are here at CHH because they care about helping others.
- We have Spanish-English interpreters or bilingual staff at all of our clinic sessions.
- We refer patients to a wide variety of community resources, not only those related to medical care.
- Our patient advocate works to find the best services for the lowest cost when someone needs additional care.
How can I see regular updates?
You can follow us on Facebook, YouTube and sign up to receive our newsletters. We want you to join us!