Now, as Janet prepares to move to Georgia, she leaves behind a clinic she deeply loves. “If I wasn’t moving, I wouldn’t be leaving at all,” she said. While she’s exploring opportunities in hospice care and possibly volunteering at a local clinic, she promises to stay connected. With family in the area, she’ll be back to visit—and she won’t hesitate to pop in to check that Clearwater Free Clinic is still running a tight ship.

Discover how Dr. Taunk built a network of support to provide free gastrointestinal care and why he calls his work at the Clearwater Free Clinic “pure giving.”

Dr. Herrema’s journey with the Clinic began shortly after she moved to the area in 2015. As a practicing neurologist, Dr. Herrema was looking for a way to use her skills to give back to the community. “When we moved here, I knew I wanted to do something,” she recalls. “I didn’t necessarily know about the Clinic at first, but it just made sense. Volunteering allowed me to fill that niche for myself.”