DIRNE HEALTH CENTERS INC

Description

In January 1986, Dirne Community Health Centers was incorporated as an Idaho 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Heritage Health, originally named "Dirne Community Health Clinic" was largely conceived through the pioneering efforts of one individual, Lidwina Dirne. Upon personally witnessing the devastating impact that inaccessibility to healthcare had on a single mother with disabilities who could not afford basic medical care for herself or her family, Lidwina mobilized a community-based effort to find solutions. The result was the start-up of a volunteer-run, free-clinic that received total community backing, and operated two evenings per week. For fifteen years the clinic was supported by local donations, in-kind contributions, and pro-bono legal services, and staffed by volunteer primary care providers. As the demand for services increased and exceeded the capacity of a part-time volunteer clinic, the need for expansion became a necessity.