His Hands Free Clinic

His Hands Free Clinic is dedicated to providing high quality healthcare at no cost to uninsured and underinsured people of Eastern Iowa. His Hands offers medical, dental, chiropractic, mental health, physical therapy, social work services, prescription assistance, and prayer support.

The initial motivation to create a free clinic came from a challenge issued by the Christian Medical and Dental Society in 1991. Dr. Jim Bell attended the conference and upon returned to Cedar Rapids gathered his colleagues to create The Cedar Rapids Free Medical Clinic. The clinic opened in May 1992, in a space donated by The Jane Boyd Community Center.

In the early days, the clinic was only open for three hours every other Monday night. As the need for free care became more evident, Dr. Ken Cearlock joined the clinic, allowing it to be open every Monday night. Soon numerous nurses, social workers, and pharmacists joined the effort. Year after year, the demands on the clinic increased. In 1996, The Cedar Rapids Free Medical Clinic was incorporated as His Hands Ministries; they obtained non-profit status and formed a Board of Directors. Darlene Schmidt was hired as the Executive Director, to oversee the day-to-day operations. Extra clinics were added for primary care on Thursdays and then Tuesdays, as well as specialty clinics in gynecology, podiatry and general internal medicine. A prescription assistance program was started to address the need for medications.

Patient rosters continued to swell; and in 2001, the clinic saw over 5000 patients. In 2002, a search began for an alternate clinic site. In the preliminary stages of the search process, philosophical differences were pulling the Board of Directors in different directions. Several Board members and the Executive Director resigned and the clinic split into two organizations: the Community Health Free Clinic and Cedar Rapids Free Medical Clinic.

The Cedar Rapids Free Medical Clinic reopened its doors in January 2003, at 1043 3rd Ave SE. Corina Tracy was hired as the new Clinic Director. Significant changes were made at the clinic in 2003, including the institution of scheduled appointments and solidifying the prayer ministry with trained prayer support volunteers. At the end of 2003, Corina Tracy relocated and Andi Doane was hired as the new Clinic Director. In 2005, chiropractor services were added to help patients suffering from chronic pain. In 2006, the Board of Directors changed the organizations name to His Hands Free Medical Clinic. In 2010, Sharon Patton was hired as the Executive Director, and Cyndi Ziegler was hired as Clinic Director. Up until this time these two positions were handled by one person, and now were split in two. In 2014, the clinic held its first fundraising event, Praise on the River. In 2014, Dawn Brouwers was hired as the new Executive Director.

His Hands provides daytime appointments on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; as well as evening appointments on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Dental appointments are on Fridays and some Saturdays.

Our mission is to bring glory to God by providing for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those without adequate resources.