Copyright 2021 Akron Beach Journal

Jackie Chandler has had medical insurance off and on, depending on her jobs over the years. 

So when she hasn’t had insurance, she has relied on the free medical care for her high blood pressure and other ailments at Akron’s OPEN M, a Christian-based ministry and nonprofit. Chandler has also used the food pantry services. 

On a recent visit to the medical clinic at OPEN M in Akron’s Summit Lake area, Chandler, 70, was so weak from severe pain in her lower back and lack of appetite that the physician who saw her that evening told her she needed to get to the emergency room. But Chandler was too weak to drive herself. 

So Dr. Joseph Rinaldi, a cardiologist at Western Reserve Hospital who volunteers once a month at the clinic, drove Chandler to the emergency room.  

“I'm just amazed,” said Chandler recently from her hospital room at Summa Health’s Akron City Hospital, where she was on her sixth day treated for a severe urinary tract infection and severe dehydration. “I was in awe in the whole situation.” 

OPEN M Executive Director Christine Curry said it is highly unusual for one of the physicians to drive a patient to the hospital, but shows the level of care and compassion of the professionals who come and volunteer their time. 

“It's definitely atypical, however Dr. Rinaldi is extremely dedicated to the patients at Open M. They truly love him and appreciate that one of the best cardiologists in the region is here. For someone with his reputation to show that kind of care and due diligence speaks volume to what we have here,” Curry said. 

Rinaldi said it was the first time in his career he’s ever driven a patient to the hospital, though acknowledged he has wheeled a patient or two to the Western Reserve Hospital emergency room from his office in the hospital. 

“She came in and she was obviously sick. I was worried she was dehydrated and was having trouble walking,” said Rinaldi. “She really probably shouldn’t have driven herself to the clinic let alone to the emergency room, which is where I thought she should go.” 

Rinaldi said the patients seen at the OPEN M medical clinic don’t have insurance so “the last thing I wanted for her was to get a bill for an ambulance. It was near the end of the clinic. it was on my way home. It really wasn’t a big deal.” 

Rinaldi wheeled Chandler into the Summa Emergency room and gave the doctors there a little history before he left. He was suspicious she had a urinary tract infection and nothing related to her heart, which is his specialty. Rinaldi was at OPEN M that night for his shift seeing all patients, not just cardiology patients. 

Helping the community

The medical clinic, which is open Monday through Thursday by appointment and serves as a patient’s primary care practice, is just one of the free programs offered by OPEN M, which has been serving the greater Akron community for 53 years. It was formed as Opportunity Parish Ecumenical Neighborhood Ministry in 1968 by four churches, and Curry said it has since received supported from additional churches, foundations, nonprofits, corporate partners and thousands of volunteers. Create Account

All programs are free and income eligible. To register for one of 10 food service programs offered by OPEN M, contact United Way of Summit and Medina County’s 2-1-1 service (dial 2-1-1 or 330-376--6660). To check eligibility for OPEN M’s medical clinic, call 330-434-0110. 

OPEN M serves the Summit Lake community around its headquarters on Prince Street, but clients for the medical clinic and food services come from all over Summit County,  Curry said. 

A total of 40% percent of the clinic’s active patients are from the Summit Lake neighborhood and the other 60% are from greater Akron and Summit County. Among patients, 43% are white, 42% are black/brown and the rest identify as “other” or are unidentified, Curry said. 

“There’s a misnomer out there about uninsured folks and what they look like and people are totally inaccurate,” said Curry, who has been executive director since last year. “Being uninsured is an equal opportunity thing and the world needs to step up and do something about it in this country. We are more than happy to be the go-to place and the only true free clinic in Summit County. We are truly free. We don’t take Medicaid. Our prescriptions are all free. Last year in 2020, we gave out more than $1.5 million in free prescriptions.” 

For OPEN M's food services, 7% of the households were from the Summit Lake neighborhood, 92% were from the rest of Summit County and 1% from outside the county, said Curry. Last year, OPEN M’s food outreach programs gave out $1.25 million worth of food to nearly 14,000 households or more than 37,000 individuals. 

Chandler said the medical clinic and food pantry, where she has gotten food staples from OPEN M, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been extremely helpful. The physicians helped her get her high blood pressure under control and she has been able to see specialists like chiropractors and acupuncturists during special clinics.  

“It was enormously helpful,” said Chandler, who is sad since she will be transitioning to Medicare and will not be able to utilize the medical clinic but will still use the food services. “They supplied any needs I had whatsoever, including the food pantry. They're just awesome.” 

Food insecurity among senior citizens is on the increase, Curry said, noting that more than 4,000 in Summit County received assistance from OPEN M in 2020. 

Serving during the pandemic

OPEN M’s services also did not stop during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Julie Carneal, the organization's facilities and food services manager. 

The medical clinic closed to in-person during the height of the pandemic, but switched to telehealth appointments and continued to dispense patient’s needed medications, Interim Manager Tammy Hicks said. It is now open again to in-person appointments Monday through Thursday, with specialty clinics about nine to 10 times a month.  

The food services programs of OPEN M also didn’t stop during the pandemic, when need was great, Carneal said. 

The food pantry, which offers food staples once a month with a referral “was one of the ones that never shut down. All of our employees, even though their programs shut down, they worked through the pantry. We weren’t allowed to have volunteers in here [at the height of the pandemic], so we kept it going. We never missed any programs at all,” said Carneal. 

OPEN M has or participates in 10 different programs for food distribution, including a new partnership with Door Dash to deliver pantry-type food to shut-ins and the blessing bags, which offer canned foods to get people by overnight and hot meals, offered daily the last two months of the week. There is even available donated dog and cat food from the Humane Society. 

OPEN M moved all of its food pickups to a drive-thru system during the pandemic and has areas for those walking up; it will continue that method through the winter, said Carneal, 

“We found it is a lot more efficient and less hassle for people standing for any length of time. If they don’t have a car, they come through and stay on benches until we’re ready to serve,” she said. 

New stand-alone dental clinic

OPEN M also has a new stand-alone dental clinic named The Harry and Fran Donovan Dental Clinic. OPEN M has had volunteer dentists seeing patients through its medical clinic but the new stand-alone dental clinic with multiple bays offers more space for the specific needs, Curry said. The clinic started taking patients in February. 

Curry is looking to hire a dentist and hygienist for 30 hours a month each to work with the volunteer dentists to serve more people. 

Until the hires are made, for now, the 450 active OPEN M dental patients are the only ones who can be seen in the clinic, Curry said. 

Summit County Councilwoman Veronica Sims, who grew up in the Summit Lake area, volunteered at OPEN M as a teen and whose county ward covers the area, praised the organization for serving its neighborhood and beyond. 

“OPEN M has inserted itself in the neighborhood. It's not something happening as an offshoot. It's integrally a part of this community,” Sims said.

“I hope through this whole pandemic, in the work that OPEN M has continued to do, that we start to re-evaluate what public health looks like and where does public health meet the community in a real way — so that we’re not doing this kind of recognizant kind of work trying to mobilize within the community when we have these crises,” she said. 

Beacon Journal staff reporter Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her @blinfisherABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/BettyLinFisherABJ. To see her most recent stories and columns, go to www.tinyurl.com/bettylinfisher.

How you can help

• OPEN M can accept donated prescriptions, but only if they are still sealed and not expired. It will also take incontinence and wound care supplies. It cannot accept medical supplies like walkers or wheelchairs.  

• To volunteer, make a monetary donation or find out other ways to help, go to www.openm.org or call 330-434-0110