By Kathy Miller

For those without insurance, it is a struggle to get quality free health care close to home. Crossroads Clinic Volunteers in Medicine (CCVIM) in Lake St. Louis is doing just that and has been for the last 13 years. Thanks to Dr. Maimuna Baig and many others, CCVIM is staffed by doctors, nurses, physical therapist, pharmacists, etc. who volunteer their time. Because of that volunteer service and donations from individuals/businesses, this clinic does NOT charge for the care they give. This means you have FREE healthcare available to you and includes medications at a minimal expense, including FREE insulin.
Dr. Baig started practicing medicine in Warrenton in 1985. In 1990, she moved her practice to Lake St. Louis and along with her husband built their own medical office across from SSM St. Joseph Hospital West.

As our country’s number of uninsured rose, Dr. Baig had a vision. Could she open a free clinic for the uninsured at a location close to a major highway for easy access? It would be her way of “giving back” to a community in a substantial way for all the support and many blessings she has received through the years.

Dr. Baig’s vision began to take shape; she was able to use her new medical building for rent-free space. The clinic was approved for non-profit status with the State of Missouri, medical office supplies were donated, and a $5,000 donation for patient medication was received.

To share the Clinic’s mission, they held informational sessions for churches and organizations in the community. Caring and dedicated community members stepped forward to volunteer, and the Lake St. Louis Crossroads Clinic Volunteers In Medicine was able to open its doors in August 2010.

The clinic outgrew the initial space and today is located at 10714 Veterans Memorial Parkway in Lake St. Louis. This location (visible from Highway 70) offers easy access for volunteers and patients. The clinic is open every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. by appointment, at (636) 561-3133. Qualified patients must be between the ages of 18 and 64 in Western St. Charles, Warren, Lincoln and Montgomery Counties.

To qualify, the patient cannot be eligible for Medicare or Medicaid or any other insurance, and your household income status must be at 200% or less of the Federal poverty level. We offer chronic illness management (diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, COPD, etc.), lab and specialist referrals, and provide inhalers, c-pap machines, counseling, physical therapy, diabetic care, flu shots, and prevention and wellness visits. Patients are not billed or charged for their visits to the clinic. Volunteers run the Clinic, and the medicines, medical supplies and operational costs are donated by businesses and other non-profit organizations, grants, individual contributions and fundraising.

The four hospitals in St. Charles County (Barnes – St. Peters, Progress West, SSM St. Joseph Health Center and SSM St. Joseph Hospital West) accept patients for testing and procedures. Patients complete financial support applications with each facility. If specialty care is needed, a specialty physician is found to accept the patient for the required care.

If you are interested in volunteering at the clinic, they are looking for doctors or advanced nurse practitioners, RN/LPN nursing staff, physical therapists, mental health providers, pharmacists and support staff. For more information, visit www.crossroadsclinicvim.org/volunteers. If you cannot donate your time, please consider donating to the clinic at www.crossroadsclinicvim.org/donate. Still have questions? Please don't hesitate to contact the clinic at 636-561-3133.

The clinic has over one thousand patients enrolled for care, and in 2021, it had 1,615 office visits and accepted 82 new patients. Seventy professional and clerical volunteers gave 5,111 hours of their time, and the generous volunteers are what allows the Clinic to be free of charge. The Vision of CCVIM has been a journey, and thanks to the generous volunteers and donations, they can continue that journey.