Shepherd's Hope

Shepherd’s Hope is a non-profit organization that provides free, quality healthcare to the uninsured. Since its founding, Shepherd’s Hope has provided more than 350,000 completely free, primary and specialty care visits to children, women, and men. These patients have incomes at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level, are uninsured, and are not eligible for any government-assisted healthcare programs. Shepherd’s Hope was founded in 1997 by Dr. William S. Barnes, senior pastor of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church. Dr. Barnes set in motion a grassroots effort to provide free medical care, education, and wellness programs to the uninsured in Central Florida. Since then, Shepherd’s Hope has become the largest free and charitable clinic in Florida and a nationally recognized non-profit health and human services agency. Shepherd’s Hope contributes directly to Central Florida’s health care economy by mitigating the financial impacts of uninsured care on hospitals and healthcare providers. The average cost of an emergency department visit in Central Florida is approximately $4,600; while the cost of a patient visit at Shepherd’s Hope is the equivalent of $350 Without the option of Shepherd’s Hope, 22.3 percent of patients served in 2017 (3,820) said they would otherwise be forced to seek care at an area emergency department. Given the unpredictability surrounding the issue of healthcare, the work of Shepherd’s Hope is vital in providing quality care to the Central Florida community.