Sand Springs woman opening free health clinic in Sapulpa

A Sand Springs woman is working to open a new free clinic for individuals who do not have insurance. Dr. Rachel Ray is one of the directors of the upcoming CURA For the World - Sapulpa clinic that will be opening to the public Tuesday, July 23rd.

CURA For the World is headquartered in Tulsa and was founded by Lebanese emigrant Dr. Jawad Trad in September of 2016. Since then, CURA has partnered with organizations in seven different countries to provide medical aid and food security to the impoverished. Dr. Ray and her partner, Dr. Zach Fowler, attended medical school with Trad.

The Sapulpa location is the organization’s first clinic in the United States under Project USA. They will be holding an Open House Sunday, July 21st from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and a ribbon cutting that Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. Doors will open for patient check-in Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.

More than 27 million Americans are without health insurance, and the Sapulpa clinic is CURA’s first step in a larger plan to help that demographic. According to CURA, 17.4% of Sapulpans live below the poverty line, with the largest affected demographic being Females between the ages of 25-34.

“There are many uninsured people in our communities that are unable to secure health insurance and I see how this negatively effects the wellbeing of the patients and the health of our community,” says Ray. There are free clinics in Tulsa but the free resources on the west side of Tulsa and especially Creek county is very limited. There is currently no free standing free health clinic in all of Creek County.”

The clinic will offer free services to individuals with limited incomes, no health insurance, or who do not qualify for Medicaid or Medicare. They will also help those who only have catastrophic care coverage, or individuals who have insurance, but can’t afford their high deductibles.

CURA will offer treatment for both routine illnesses and chronic conditions, as well as a limited range of medical testing, prescription drug assistance, women’s health care, and free child therapy sessions. They will not, however, be providing pregnancy testing, Pap smears, or STD testing, stimulants, controlled substances, or care for chronic pain patients.

Dr. Ray is a graduate of Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her residency in Family Medicine at the University of Oklahoma - Tulsa campus and currently resides in Sand Springs.

“I always knew I wanted a career in which I could help to make a positive and meaningful difference in the life of someone else,” says Ray. “Throughout my early education years, I was intrigued by the complexity of the sciences and the human body. I love to learn new things and medicine allows me to always be aware of the changes and advances in science and healthcare. The most special part of being a physician is the trust that we receive from our patients and the opportunity to help make their lives better.”

The clinic is completely volunteer based and will be open Tuesday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. It is first-come first-served and expects to be able to handle about sixteen patients per week. The team anticipates being able to expand their hours in the future.

“We plan to utilize our clinic to help bring more services to our community. We are partnering with different organizations so that we can provide lab work, diagnostic imaging and specialist evaluations to our patients. We will also bring in community education programs to help educate on nutrition, physical activity, and tobacco cessation. We are working to bring counselors for therapy services through partnering with Improving Lives Counseling Services. We are also developing a partnership with a local Sapulpa pharmacy to be able to provide reduced cost medications. We are not currently able to provide well woman exams or childhood immunizations, but we do hope to provide these services in the future.”

CURA Medical Clinic
1012 West Taft Street
Sapulpa, OK 74066