The Coles Community Health Program plans to undertake the building of a free clinic to serve the 17.4 percent of Coles County residents in the area without health insurance.

The clinic will provide basic and primary care to Coles County residents at a discounted rate of about $10 or less depending on the person’s standing in the state poverty guidelines. Coles County rates 24th of 26 counties in Central Illinois with the lowest median income. The usual cost for a routine visit is about $100 without insurance.

The county’s median income is averaged at $32,286, while the state median income is approximately $50,000.

In turn, 9,300 people rely on public aid in the forms of Medicare, All Kids and Medicaid, which results in high co-pays on normal doctor visits.

“The Coles Community Clinic is dedicated to meeting the health care needs of the medically underserved citizens of Coles County with compassion and excellence in health care,” said Mike Murray, the CCHP president.

Health officials said that the purpose of these clinics is to provide preventative care and save people’s money and lives in the long run. Emergency visits and developing illnesses can be deterred by the access to health care the clinic will give.

According to ColesCommunityClinic.org, which is run by the CCHP, the clinic aims to center medical services around medical issues that rely on preventative care such as child abuse, teen pregnancy, tobacco utilization and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. Coles County has higher rates in most of these areas of medical concern than the state averages.

Child abuse and neglect rates are at 47.8 people out of every 1,000, compared to the state average of 26.7 people per 1,000, according to ColesCommunityClinic.org.

Teen pregnancy is at 12 percent. Tobacco utilization is at 29 percent and 53 percent of deaths in Coles County are from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, according ColesCommunityClinic.org.

The clinic is staffed with one part-time physician, two nurse practitioners or physician assistants and one registered nurse.

It will cost approximately $600,000 in startup costs, half of which has already been raised by the CCHP.

Eastern students without insurance can utilize the facility as well.

CCHP hopes to have the clinic completed in two years.

Krystal Moya can be reached at 581-7942 or at ksmoya@eiu.edu.