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A Typical Visit to the Clinic

Your day as an NYCFC patient

The following provides an overview of how you may expect your visit will go as a patient at the NYCFC.

1. Insurance eligibility screening (new patients only)

If you are a new patient, you will first be screened for free health insurance eligibility by the social worker. This is also a good place to bring up concerns about issues such as domestic violence and unemployment, if these apply to you.

• To be screened by a social worker, you can either:
  • Walk in to the IFH clinic on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday and ask to be screened for NYCFC eligibility (please call 212-206-5200 for hours and directions).
    or
  • Call our patient schedulers at 212-206-5200 and schedule an appointment with a social worker for a Saturday.
    (Note: You cannot receive an appointment for the NYCFC on the same day as the appointment with the social worker as we have to determine a patients eligibility prior to scheduling an appointment.)
• If the social worker determines that you are eligible to make an appointment at the NYCFC, please call 212-206-5200 and ask to make an appointment ath the New York City Free Clinic.
• When connected with a patient service representative, state that you are a current New York City Free Clinic patient and would like to make a follow-up appointment.
• Patients will be re-screened for eligibility by a social worker after one year.

Note: The purpose of the meeting with the social worker is not to deny health care to any individual but to assist potential patients in gaining access to the support they are eligible for.

2. Clinical team visit

On the day of your appointment, please arrive at the NYCFC well before your scheduled appointment. You will be shown to an examination room, where you will be seen by a clinical team of two medical students. Make sure to tell the clinical team ALL of your health concerns and ask them ANY questions you have.

3. Treatment plan

After seeing you, the clinical team will leave to talk to the doctor about how best to provide care for you. When the clinical team comes back with the doctor, they may:

• Ask you more questions or examine you further.
• Talk about your treatment plan. This may include any of the following: a follow-up appointment at our clinic, a referral to Bellevue Hospital to see a specialist, lab tests, or a prescription.

Make sure you understand how to participate in your treatment. We always welcome and encourage your questions. You may want to ask about the meaning of test results, how to take your medicine, and when to come back.

4. Follow-up appointments

If you need a follow-up appointment, schedule it at the main desk before you leave.  You may call (212) 206-5200 to schedule a follow-up at a later time if necessary.

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