Partner Spotlight: South Cumberland Community Clinic

"Don't give me the credit." For a man who has helped bring vital healthcare to an underserved community, Dr. Thomas Phelps is remarkably focused on highlighting everyone but himself. His story, and the story of the South Cumberland Community Clinic, isn't about one man. It's about what an entire community can achieve together.

The South Cumberland Community Clinic (SCCC) is a remarkable example of the type of community-focused organization that the South Cumberland Community Fund (SCCF) seeks to support. When interviewing Dr. Thomas Phelps, M.D., his endless passion and devotion to his work was evident.

"The South Cumberland Community Clinic, aforenamed the Tracy City Free Clinic, opened on Nov 1st, 2022 with the express purpose of delivering primary medicine at no charge to all patients, but specifically those without insurance or insurance that is unusable,” he explained.

When asked what led him and his team to seek grant funding, Dr. Phelps started at the beginning. “Originally, I was seeing patients down in Winchester at another free clinic. I really enjoyed seeing patients without having the hassles of insurance, and I realized we really needed to put something like this on the plateau. SCCF offered a grant of $15,000 to get us started," he added, "and we collaborated with the Littell-Partin Center to share quarters with Volunteer Behavioral Health."

With the booming success of the Clinic, however, came a shortage of space. “Sometime in April 2024, we had really outgrown the 400 square footage," Dr. Phelps recounted. "Mayor Stacie Hutcheson [Tracy City] offered us space in the Annex, so we got another grant to build that out. We thought it would be wise to change the name when we changed locations.” 

South Cumberland Community Fund has awarded 4 grants to SCCC, one each year since its founding. Funding has supported the clinic’s founding, expansion, and areas of medicine that Dr. Phelps has identified as acutely necessary on the plateau. 

The positive impact of South Cumberland Community Clinic on the region is staggering. Dr. Phelps happily reported on an ongoing project with major successes: eradicating Hepatitis C from the plateau. “One of the grants we asked for was $10,000 from SCCF, which we received so that we could do our part," he said. "We were successful in curing 30-40 people with chronic, active Hepatitis C because there is a medication that can cure it, but it runs $20,000 for the pill. We were able to give a lot of people that medication for free.”

He recounted one young man’s story in particular. “We were able to go to the Grundy County Jail and test people for Hepatitis C and treat them. I can think of one young man who came out of jail, estranged from his family... he really turned his life around after he was free from Hepatitis C. He got his marriage back, he repaired his relationship with his family, his uncle hired him into a good business... That’s the kind of positive thing we get to see every day.”

In closing, Dr. Phelps had one request. “When you write this story, don't give me the credit. My part is very small because it's really the people that donate their time and money that do all the difficult tasks. All I have to do is see the joy of practicing medicine without having to fight insurance companies for my patients' rights."

He pointed out the difference between a free clinic and a for-profit provider. “A lot of what you do in insurance medicine costs a lot of money because you’re doing the demands of the insurance companies. I don't have any of those fears... We can do what we NEED to do, not what we are forced to do. It’s a huge difference.”

“We are so grateful for the private donations from all of our supporters and the people that give to SCCF,” Phelps said, getting emotional. “They are fantastic. They trust us, and trust is really important... Miracles happen here every day, and those miracles happen because of good people.”

Finally, he had one thing to say to the medical professionals reading this blog: “Hey doctors out there, come volunteer. If you want to enjoy doing what you were trained to do, come do it with a free clinic. It's a different world.”

Tess Foster

Americorps Member,

Serving at SCCF