Community Enrichment
We encourage all healthcare providers to become involved in the community. We also want to promote those who have dedicated time and effort to doing just that. Our goal is to advocate for increased visibility of these actions statewide by highlighting them in the stories found here.
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Interview with Dr. Michael Freedman
written by Megan Mcginn-Meals
Dr. Michael Freedman
If you ask Dr. Michael Freedman why he began volunteering his services to help uninsured and underinsured residents, he'd smile and say, "I've always enjoyed doing this stuff." And he's not alone. Between 150 and 170 members of Anne Arundel County's medical care community volunteer their time and services at the Annapolis Outreach Center, housed on the second floor of The Stanton Center at 92 West Washington Street in Annapolis.
The center serves the needs of area residents who have limited to no healthcare coverage. A whopping 6,500 residents are expected to be treated in 2012 alone, the majority of which are nannies, members of the hospitality industry and construction workers. Physician volunteers offer a variety of services to include gynecological, dermatological, pediatric, psychiatric and dental needs. There's even a smoking cessation counselor available.
In the center's early days, Dr. Freedman recalls creating referral forms and other office documents for the center on his home computer. Pharmaceutical representatives would drop off large amounts of sample medications to assist in treating patients. As the Annapolis Outreach Center has grown over the years, it has relied on funding primarily from Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC). The hospital itself not only provides large donations and management to the center but also provides critical services like free operating room time. Many members of AAMC's own medical staff also volunteer their services free of charge, to include performing surgeries with the help of volunteer surgeons and anesthesiologists.
Before bringing his talents to Maryland, Dr. Freedman volunteered at a homeless clinic in Philadelphia that received President George H. W. Bush's Daily Point of Light Award. Dr. Freedman served as the Annapolis Outreach Center's Medical Director and hopes to launch his own philanthropic endeavor in the future. He envisions creating a website that would offer a listing of free healthcare resources, geared toward treating traveling artists, painters, dancers and musicians across the United States. Dr. Freedman believes more and more physicians are looking to get involved in these kinds of altruistic efforts. "Every doctor I've ever asked to volunteer at the Annapolis Outreach Center, said yes," explained Dr. Freedman.
If you are interested in volunteering at the Annapolis Outreach Center, call 443-481-3599.
