Garden City Community Clinic

Genesis World Mission is a non-denominational Christian organization working to convey the love of Jesus Christ by meeting the physical, medical, and spiritual needs of the less fortunate, both globally and locally.

Description:
Locally, free medical services, including dental care, are provided at the Garden City Community Clinic to those who are economically disadvantaged and without health insurance in the Treasure Valley. Services are provided by volunteer health care professionals.

Internationally, Genesis is committed to sharing the love of Jesus Christ by providing sustainable diagnostic and medical treatment services to the economically disadvantaged individuals through local and international partnerships. This vision includes using the Garden City Community Clinic as a prototype for replication in under-developed countries around the world while supporting short-term mission trips with supplies, training and leadership as requested.

History:
In a small village in Ecuador, a young Dr. Karl Watts working in a medical mission had a revelation: “The facilities were meager and surgical operations sometimes had to be finished by flashlight when generators went out, but positive impacts on the patients were huge,” said Dr. Watts. “The people were just so grateful. I thought, ‘Yes, this is what I want my life to be about.’”

So began the dream of Genesis World Mission, which came to fruition many years later after Dr. Watts and Dr. Susie Dillon started Genesis Medical Clinic, their for profit family and sports medical practice in Boise Idaho. “We wanted to start a clinic that would be based on Christian values,” said Dr. Dillon. Out of that business partnership grew the ability to ability to fund the start-up of a non-profit organization to serve local and global medical needs. In 1997, a founding group of people gathered together to seek the Lord on what His vision was to meet growing medical needs.

In 2001, the group hired Nic Allen to help with the start-up. Allen had been instrumental in starting a The Potter's Hand, a non-profit organization, while a student at Albertson College of Idaho and brought his administrative know-how to bear on Genesis. It was officially incorporated in May 2001 and received its non-profit status by that November. Its original emphasis was to focus on short term medical missions trips organization, support and vision casting. But trouble was brewing right here in the Valley that took the organization on a different course.

The St. John’s Health Clinic had been providing free medical care in Boise for some time. In the fall of 2002, St. John's announced it would be ceasing operations. This threw the local community into a tailspin about how to continue to provide for uninsured and economically disadvantaged families. But God, in His wisdom, had been preparing Genesis for such a time as this.

The board of directors quickly determined to jump on the opportunity and meet the need by starting a new free clinic. They located a glass warehouse in Garden City which they intended to convert into a clinic, but had thought maybe by 2004, 2005. Plans kicked into high gear when they held a fundraising banquet in the unconverted warehouse in November 2002: Genesis World Mission was blown away by the outpouring of support. Two match gifts of $25,000 by Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center and Boise Valley Christian Communion were given, raising $100,000 that night – four times what they had planned to raise.

To further speed up the work, St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center donated a double-wide trailer that was already outfitted as a medical clinic. The Garden City Community Clinic started seeing patients in the trailer in the warehouse parking lot in December 2002.

Originally, it was thought that the Clinic would see urgent care patients, but the patient population turned out to be chronic medical needs like diabetes, hypertension and mental illness. By May 2003, the warehouse was renovated into a professional clinic with a decent sized waiting room, four exam rooms, a procedure room, and a diagnostic lab. A good chunk of the building still remains as unconverted warehouse space, which is where supplies for international trips and clinic use is stored.

In August 2003, the clinic secured enough funding to move from one day a week to twice weekly. Eventually, this increased to three days weekly and added dental services in 2004 and other specialty clinics (dermatology, psychiatry, physical therapy and gynecology) in 2005 and 2006. In March 2006, we were pleased to purchase the building we occupy through the generous support of donors in our capital campaign.

Contact people:

Kristal Smith, Volunteer Coordinator, (208) 384-5200, (email) Hillary Roethlisberger, Program Manager, (208) 384-5218, (email) Steven Reames, Executive Director, (208) 384-5200, (email)

Office fax number: (208) 384-5205

Address:

215 W. 35th St. Garden City, ID 83714 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.genesisworldmission.org

Directions:

215 W. 35th St. is off Chinden Blvd. between Orchard and the Connector. On the corner of Chinden Blvd. and 35th St. is Chapala's Mexican Restaurant. Turn south onto W. 35th St. The clinic is two blocks south. . . (more)

Last updated on October 18, 2009