Women’s Clinic of Tallahassee front view.
Photo Submitted by Tracy Melin.
A confidential and trusted place of care for women has extended its list of free services.
The Women’s Clinic of Tallahassee is now offering a free, full examination. The clinic, off Apalachee Parkway, has been around for 20 years. The current location, 1395 Cross Creek Circle, has been up and running since 2007.
In celebration of the Women’s Clinic 20th anniversary, women in the area are able to utilize free or affordable health care.
Throughout the last 20 years the Women’s Clinic has offered pregnancy services, free pregnancy testing, free ultrasounds, free options counseling, pregnancy resources, prenatal care referrals, pregnancy Medicaid information and abortion information.
“In most cases we would be the lowest cost women’s healthcare in Tallahassee, but we’re not comprehensive,” the clinic’s executive director, Tracy Melin, said.
In April of last year the grant that provided free pregnancy testing expanded. The Women’s Clinic is now able to provide free STI screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea in addition to a well-women component.
In 2017 the grant was expanded to add a well-women component. In November 2018 the clinic was prepared to start the services of the well women’s exam for women who qualified for the grant.
In order to qualify for the grant women must be over age 18, have no insurance, have a state identification card, haven’t had an annual exam in the last year and must be asymptomatic.
In addition to the grant, the clinic began a soft opening for low cost women’s health care for women with symptoms; UTI, STI and yeast infection. The clinic is now able to treat for chlamydia and gonorrhea instead of referring patients to the health department.
“Starting February 1, 2019 people who don’t qualify for the grant will be offered a self-pay option which will still be low cost with or without insurance,” said Melin.
The Women’s Clinic is offering many exams: Pap smear, breast exams, unusual discharge, bump checks etc.
“If they say that their partner has been tested for something, we can test them as well and provide treatment at low-cost,” said patient care advocate, Megan, who declined to provide her last name.
Dr. Perez and Nick Wagner, the two practitioners, are available to meet with patients 15 hours a week. Perez and Wagner are sure to be in the office between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
However, nurses staff the clinic five days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Wednesdays until 7 p.m.
“The Women’s Clinic of Tallahassee helped me receive many benefits I didn’t know were available to women without insurance. I was able to get blood work done that I haven’t had in years. I was able to receive a women wellness exam also to my surprise the doctor actually sat down after all results came back and discussed all the findings and ways for improvement,” said Angela Jackson.
Jackson added, “I appreciate the Women’s Clinic and Megan who gave me plenty of information.”
The Women’s Clinic accepts clients on a walk-in basis, but it’s recommended to make an appointment to ensure a shorter wait time, for a patient’s convenience.
“We’re not full yet, fairly soon, but we have appointments available this week,” Melin said.
Call (850) 656-9177 to schedule an appointment.