Control of Hypertension and Diabetes as a Measure of Chronic Disease Outcomes at a Free Clinic

A growing number of Americans lack health insurance, increasing the demand for services at free clinics. One study showed that the number of uninsured people in the United States rose by 15 million between 1990 and 2003. Due to the number of uninsured Americans, free clinics are utilized to manage chronic conditions. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Oasis of Hope, a free clinic, in managing patients with hypertension and diabetes as assessed by blood pressure and blood glucose readings. A total of 187 patients were identified as having hypertension (n=119), diabetes (n=26), or both (n=42). The most prevalent co-morbidity was hyperlipidemia (n=71). A paired t-test was used to determine if a difference existed between the first and last recorded patient visits during 2009. Findings included a significant decrease in mean arterial pressure (