Manhattan Free Clinic on the GMCF Community Hour Show Episode - 251

 We celebrate 20 years of Manhattan Free Clinic. Rick Hernandez joins us to reflect on milestones and momentum: a second clinic site inside the Flint Hills Community Accelerator, targeted grants that equipped modern exam rooms, and interactive patient education that sends videos and guides straight to your inbox. We talk about what it means to care for neighbors in a system defined by high deductibles and shifting coverage, and why preparing for newly uninsured patients is a responsibility the clinic won’t ignore. You’ll hear how a big band concert—the Thundering Cats—turns holiday music into direct support for the Manhattan Free Clinic and Shepherd’s Crossing, proving that community culture can move the needle on healthcare access.

We also step inside the accelerator’s unique model: childcare incubation, workforce placement, education, and medical services under one secure roof. That design tackles the real drivers of health, time, stability, and knowledge so that parents can work, patients can learn, and care teams can coordinate. Along the way, we honor Jim Reed, whose fingerprints are on so many of these efforts, and preview a private anniversary gathering with local leaders, with plans to share the recording online so everyone can take part.

Join us for a grounded look at how technology, partnerships, and purpose can reshape local healthcare. If this story resonates, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review telling us what would make care truly accessible in your community.

• the clinic’s 20-year history and mission
• the impact of retired physicians and volunteers
• Jim Reed’s role in founding local nonprofits
• Thundering Cats concert support for care
• technology that improves patient education
• expansion into the community accelerator
• challenges of insurance and high deductibles
• a vision for broader health coverage
• details on the anniversary gathering
• how to tour the accelerator and find resources

GMCF

CFAs

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_01 (00:00):
Philanthropy today is brought to you by the Greater
Manhattan Community Foundation.
In this episode, we feature arecently broadcast segment of
the GMCF Community Hour as heardon News Radio KMAN.
The GMTF Community Hour returnson News Radio KMAN, and Rick
Hernandez is here to speak aboutManhattan Free Clinic.

SPEAKER_00 (00:25):
That's me.
How are you doing, friend?

SPEAKER_01 (00:27):
You know, I I I think I'm doing really, really
good.
And I'm doing really, reallygood because you're doing
really, really good becauseyou're a Broncos fan, and you're
gonna l you're gonna live thathigh life for the rest of your
life.

SPEAKER_00 (00:40):
I'm gonna live that high life until you know we play
the Chiefs.
Until we play what I was gonnasay, unnamed competition, but
you've already done that for me.
So we'll see how that turns out.

SPEAKER_01 (00:52):
It's quite a quite a game.
But um and and and our guestsmay be able to tell Rick and I
have a little bit of a history,so we become really good friends
and and uh enjoy joking witheach other a lot.
So we do that.
So well, let's get back tobusiness.

SPEAKER_00 (01:07):
Sure.
Want to know what's going on atthe clinic, don't you?

SPEAKER_01 (01:09):
Manhattan Free Clinic, you've had quite a year.

SPEAKER_00 (01:11):
We have, we've had quite a year.
Uh, you know, um we are in our20th year.
What a privilege it is to bepart of this community first and
foremost, and then secondly, toserve this community for the
last 20 years has been amazing.
I've only had the privilege tobe in at the helm for the last
six, but I'm gonna tell you uhthis has been a year so far of

(01:35):
looking back while we're lookingforward.
So I've spent a lot of timegetting ready for our 20-year
celebration, which is thisThursday night.
And I had a lot of time to lookback at doctors like Dr.
Gardner and Dr.
Rose and Dr.
Meek, that right after theirretirement, they invested

(01:56):
hundreds, if not thousands, ofhours into the clinic.
And then to see the individualsthat are currently involved in
our clinic that pour into thesepeople that we serve.
It's just been a privilege.
And to watch us not only um havea kind of a rebirth in the last
few years, but also uh growingto where we're in a second

(02:19):
location at the uh Flint HillsCommunity Accelerator, what a
privilege it is to spend timethere today.
It's uh right today we're we'reserving patients up in that
location as well as right hereacross the street at 401.

SPEAKER_01 (02:34):
Yeah, and when you talk about 401, you're talking
about 401 South 4th Street.

SPEAKER_00 (02:38):
Yeah, New York 401 Houston.
Houston, we're at the corner ofFourth and Houston.
So yeah, it's a what a privilegeit's been to be in there for the
last 20 years.
Julie Govert Walter has beenamazing uh to provide that space
for as long as we've been there.
And and so we're just kind ofenjoying looking at our history,

(02:59):
also looking at the present, andnow we have to dwell on the
future.
What's the future look like?
And you know, we have agovernment shutdown right now,
or fighting over health care uhexpenses and those types of
things, and there could be somefallout there as well.
So we've positioned ourselves ina really healthy place to where
we can provide health care forthose individuals.

(03:23):
I hope I'm not right, that couldpotentially lose their health
care insurance.

SPEAKER_01 (03:27):
You know, that has uh become one of the most
challenging things for justabout every American is health
care insurance, you know.
And you know, so many of usdon't have, you know, I go
through the marketplace to getmine, and that's not easy.

SPEAKER_00 (03:42):
Yeah, and it's oftentimes not sufficient.
No one's so you you know inorder to get inexpensive health
care insurance that isprivatized health care
insurance, you have to have youhave to carry out very high
deductibles.
So essentially, you're sometimesthrowing good money after bad
money.
And and so uh, you know, I don'tknow the solution to that

(04:02):
problem, Dave.
I wish I did.
Um, I think that would put usout of business.
Um, but at the same time, we'rethere for those people that do
find themselves in thosesituations.

SPEAKER_01 (04:13):
You're there to fulfill a need, you're not there
as a business, but you know, andto be put out of business is as
long as everybody else isgetting served, the service that
they need, yes, that wouldn't bea bad thing in the long run.

SPEAKER_00 (04:25):
In the long run, that's good, that would be a
God's plan.
So hey, look, can I talk aboutJim Reed for a moment?

SPEAKER_01 (04:30):
You know, Jim Reed is a dude that that I hold near
and dear to my heart.
So you talk about uh 20 years,it's almost been 20 years since
my wife passed away, and he wasthe uh uh he was uh the pastor
for that and helped me throughso much.
He's and and you know, you canlook at what he has done, what a
legacy he has in the Manhattanarea, including getting things

(04:54):
started with uh the ManhattanFree Clinic.

SPEAKER_00 (04:56):
And somewhere else, do you know that he started uh
he was one of the foundingmembers of the Shepherd's
Crossing as well?
And we're gonna have theprivilege of hearing from Beth
Klug this Thursday as uh severalof us are getting together,
having dinner together, andcelebrating not only the 20
years, past, present, and futureof the clinic, but the work that

(05:18):
Jim Reed did to put this thingtogether.
Everyone that I spoke to, everysingle person ended our
conversation like this, thiswould not have happened without
Jim Reed.
Yeah.
And it it's just amazing.
He is uh truly a man thatunderstands uh what when Jesus
said, love the Lord your Godwith all your heart, mind, and

(05:40):
soul, and the second is equal tothe first, love your neighbor as
yourself.
What a love story Jim Reed hasin this community.
He truly does love people.
Uh, he put together two amazingum nonprofits uh that does their
best to follow his example as hefollowed he followed Jesus'

(06:03):
instruction.
So uh great privilege to be inhis presence this Thursday night
as we celebrate the clinic, butalso uh celebrate Jim Reed.
And uh we got some pretty funstuff stored.

SPEAKER_01 (06:16):
We have not had enough opportunities to
celebrate Jim Reed in thiscommunity.

SPEAKER_00 (06:20):
Nope.
And I I'm I'm hoping it's notgoing to be the only opportunity
to celebrate Jim Reed, but itcertainly is our privilege to
start it.

SPEAKER_01 (06:28):
Well, I'm excited to be a part of this.

SPEAKER_00 (06:30):
Yeah, thank you for agreeing.

SPEAKER_01 (06:34):
And uh when you said Jim Reed, I was all in.

SPEAKER_00 (06:36):
Oh, yeah.
Well, who wouldn't be?
Who wouldn't be?
And listen out there, it'snothing to do with you.
Listen out there, if you don'tknow Jim Reed, uh he's he is an
amazing man to get to know.
So uh uh, you know, Jim Reed,your phone's gonna start ringing
any moment now.

SPEAKER_01 (06:52):
I'm not gonna put the number out there.

SPEAKER_00 (06:54):
No, uh we won't put the number out there, but uh uh
I'm sure uh he'd answer anyway.
Yeah.
He'd answer anyway.

SPEAKER_01 (07:00):
And you know he loves to play the trombone.

SPEAKER_00 (07:02):
Oh man, and that's the other thing he found it was
the Thundering Cats.
Oh my goodness.
Every Christmas uh we go to uhdown here at the church on
points, uh, and we fill thatthing up, and Jim Reed and the
Ministerial Alliance does awonderful job putting a program
together uh to celebrate thattime of year, that season, uh,

(07:26):
that we all know and love.
And uh they play some amazingbig band Christmas music.

SPEAKER_01 (07:33):
Well, they play a lot of music that that's not
just Christmas, but you know,there's a tremendous depth of
talent within that organization.

SPEAKER_00 (07:42):
And you know they they don't charge for tickets
for this.
I'm gonna put in a little plugfor this uh event that's
happening this uh late fall,early Christmas season.
Um they do not charge tickets,but they take a free will
offering, and that does not staywith the band.
That goes to the Manhattan FreeClinic and Shepherd's Crossing.

(08:03):
I wonder how that worked out.
I you know, I I don't know, butwe uh we are loving that uh
people are blessed by the musicof the thundering cats, and then
they extend that blessing on topeople in need.
So uh we love it.
It really signifies that time ofyear, uh celebrating uh not only

(08:23):
the holiday season, Christmasseason, but also celebrating the
opportunity to serve others.
That isn't that what Jim Reed'sall about.

SPEAKER_01 (08:31):
That is, it really is.
That is, no doubt about it.
Well, you know, but take a lookback at 20 years of service, you
know, here in Manhattan and andnot just Manhattan.
You know, you serve um much ofthe surrounding community as
well.
Uh what do you think has beensome of the more significant
aspects about the evolution ofthe free clinic?

SPEAKER_00 (08:53):
Well, technology probably is the the first thing
that comes to mind.
Um, you know, when a lot ofnonprofits cannot afford uh
keeping up with the times intechnology, um we've been
blessed to have thatopportunity.
Uh, when we opened the secondlocation uh up at the Flint
Hills Community Accelerator, wewere able to apply for a deal

(09:14):
grant, and uh we were awardedthat grant, and that$10,000
equipped that clinic room upthere.
Uh everything from lab testingequipments with state-of-the-art
stuff.

SPEAKER_01 (09:27):
And I I will say, you know, when you gave me the
little tour, yeah, there aretechnological advancements in
there that I don't get at myregular doctor's office.
Nothing against them.
Right.
But I mean, you have this touchscreen where you can just go in
and define every aspect of thehuman body.

SPEAKER_00 (09:45):
We call it the the big iPad on the wall.
Yeah, that's about um literallywe'll tell patients when we when
we room them, uh, please don'tuh hesitate to touch this
screen, and we'll quicklydemonstrate if they want to go
to something that they'reinterested in.
Let's say they're there forchronic obstructive pulmonary
disease, COPD, and you can goonto this screen, touch that

(10:08):
COPD uh menu, and it can showyou a video, what's COPD all
about, list some uh uh fun factsthat you can improve your
breathing uh at home, andquestions that you can ask your
doctor.
So they educate themselvesbefore the physician even walks
in the door.

(10:28):
And then if they uh like whatthey've seen, our physician can
then touch the screen, send thatvideo to their email address
before they even get home.
They'll have that there torefresh their memory, show other
people in the home that's gonnahelp them uh come out with
better health outcomes.
That's the whole point of that,is that's the whole point of our

(10:50):
work.
Uh serve these individuals anduh hope that we can provide
opportunities to informthemselves, educate themselves,
and interact with theireducation to have better health
outcomes.

SPEAKER_01 (11:04):
Do you have that advancement in your clinic
downtown?

SPEAKER_00 (11:07):
We do.
Okay.
We have uh all four exam rooms,both both uh uh both locations
totaling.
Yeah, yeah.
We have four exam rooms.
We have those screens in everyroom, we have them in every
waiting area uh as well.
They're not as interactive inthe waiting area.
That's a different format whereit's educating them about
medications that can beprescribed for different uh

(11:29):
illnesses, or it may be justinteractive trivia type stuff
where they can uh learn thingsabout uh healthcare uh that they
may not have walked in the doorknowing.

SPEAKER_01 (11:42):
What would you consider to be your most
ambitious goal looking forwardto the next 20 years?

SPEAKER_00 (11:49):
Oh boy, I wish I had a crystal ball.
I wish I had a crystal ball.
I'm I I my personal um desire tow would would be to see our
country take care of ourcountrymen.
I would love to see our uhadministration, whatever

(12:11):
administration it is in thefuture, every administration
come back to hey, we're a we alllive on this planet together, we
all live in this countrytogether, we are mandated as
Americans to take care ofAmericans, and we need to find a
way to provide health care foreveryone.

(12:32):
And that might put the communityclinic out of business.
But if we can provide healthcare for everyone, then health
care uh out good outcomes mayincrease.

SPEAKER_01 (12:45):
Uh not just also would increase the the business
perspective of everybody becausethere would be a greater need
within, you know, the medicalcare facilities and more doctors
and more clinics to help.

SPEAKER_00 (12:58):
I do believe, yeah, absolutely.
You're absolutely right.
It would stretch the economy ofhealthcare a little bit further.
Uh, would it put a burden on ouruh on our country to provide
health care?
Yes, it would.
Uh, but I think overall, in thelong run, a healthier America is
a better America.

SPEAKER_01 (13:20):
We talked a little bit about this 20th anniversary
celebration, which is coming upThursday.
And I know that you know you'reyou're hosting this at the
accelerator.
That's correct.
They're on Kemble Avenue.
I don't know the numbers.
Uh the street number.

SPEAKER_00 (13:34):
The street number is just right north of the
hospital.
It's 2438, I believe.
Okay.
2438 Kimball.

SPEAKER_01 (13:41):
And if you haven't been there, this is something
that you've got to check outsometime because this is a this
is a huge innovation for ourcommunity.
And we've got, you know, we'vebeen really blessed to have so
many people that are expressinginterest in what we've done here
in Manhattan, Kansas.

SPEAKER_00 (13:58):
Yes.

SPEAKER_01 (13:58):
And other people, not just in Kansas, but
throughout the nation, arelooking at what we are doing
here with this.
And and it's got to be prettyexciting for the the free clinic
to be a part of that.

SPEAKER_00 (14:08):
It is.
Uh, you know, back when uh thiswas in its conceptual stage and
when we were writing grants, umuh I was helped uh I was asked
to help write the grant for themedical, uh, the medical part of
this four-pillar operation.
And um uh we were blessed toacquire that and and blessed to

(14:31):
be there.
But what's most exciting aboutit is uh exactly what you just
said, the whole concept isdifferent than most.
There are uh accelerators outthere uh that focus on child
care, but not childcare andmedical and uh education pieces
and uh workforce, uh workplacement uh services all in one

(14:56):
place.
And so it when you do go to thisbuilding, and if you do want to
see this building, uh you can gothere.
Uh it's the green buildingbehind the medical surgical
center.
Uh and uh it has a purple sideand a yellow side.
And beautiful landscaping.
And it can be absolutely forsure.

(15:17):
And so the community side is theeducation piece, the workforce
piece, and the clinic piece.
And then the right hand side,which is the purple side, the
yellow, sorry, the gold side,yellow side is the community
side.
The purple side is the communityor the child care business
initiative, uh, which is theincubator for uh teaching,

(15:39):
educating, and uh uh ensuring uhthat childcare is run as uh uh
at its most uh efficient, withthe most integrity, and
educating the people as businessowners as well.

SPEAKER_01 (15:54):
Certainly has been an amazing concept to see it
come through from development,you know, when the the beginning
talk station, uh the talkingthrough the community foundation
and the chamber of commerce andleadership and vision of three
young ladies that are in thechild care industry or child
care um you know world.
You know, they they live itbecause you know their kids are

(16:15):
in there and you know they got aprovider, and it's just been
neat to see that all come tofruition.
Really cool.
We ought to be that's one of thegreat accomplishments of this
community in the last severalyears.

SPEAKER_00 (16:27):
We're gonna touch on that Thursday.
We're gonna touch on that.
We're gonna celebrate that alittle bit.
Lisa's gonna be there and and uhLacey and Megan uh from the
accelerator side.
Uh there'll be a dinner.
Uh Vern Henriks is asked tospeak.
Oh.
Uh, you know, I mean, you know,it's Vern.
We've got to have him.
Uh and Vern, if you'relistening, uh, we're thrilled

(16:50):
that you're gonna be speaking.
Uh he's gonna talk a little bitabout the importance of a
foundation uh and how thepurpose of supporting
nonprofits.
But also, uh, he's known JimReed for a lot of years as well.
And so he's got a few stories totell about that.
But also, I'd love to see himjust uh call attention to this

(17:10):
amazing place that we're gonnacongregate in uh this Thursday
night and share a little bitabout their vision as well.

SPEAKER_01 (17:17):
Is that open to the public?

SPEAKER_00 (17:19):
It's not normally open to the public because it
does it's a secured building,obviously, because there is
child care available there.
But you can call ahead and andask for a tour of it.
Um uh whether it's the communityside, I'd be happy to give a
tour on the community side orLisa would be happy to give a
tour on the child care side astime warrants, obviously.

(17:40):
Uh, but uh it is a securebuilding, so not everybody can
just walk in.
But uh go up there and drive byit if you haven't noticed it
already.
But it's it's a pretty amazingplace.

SPEAKER_01 (17:51):
Any available seating for Thursday night's
event remaining it's byinvitation only.

SPEAKER_00 (17:56):
Uh we had to require that only because there's just
so many people that know JimReed, but also, you know, just
to stay within uh uh an intimateuh setting as well.
Uh, but we're gonna post.
I'm hoping that we're gonnarecord the whole thing and post
this on our uh webpage as a linkuh so that anybody that was not
able to make it or uh you knowuh wasn't able to be attend uh

(18:20):
can see it and uh enjoy thatevening with us.

SPEAKER_01 (18:23):
Sounds great.
Rick Hernandez is his name.
He's the executive director ofthe Manhattan Free Clinic.
You can always find out moreabout the clinic at the website.

SPEAKER_00 (18:31):
Wmhkfreeclinic.com.

SPEAKER_01 (18:35):
We'll be back with Jaina Ukrajenko in just a couple
of moments.
This is the GMCF Community Hourhere on News Radio KMAN.