WAITING ROOM … Despite the frustrations of COVID, the Bryan Compassion Medical Clinic is open and waiting for patients who need their care. This new waiting room is up and ready with a coffee maker and all. (PHOTO PROVIDED)
By: Rebecca Miller
Medical care has been quite an expensive part of life for many years, so compassionate people have done what they can to offer options to those who are struggling. Compassion Medical Clinic opened it’s doors on June 1, 2007.
Since then they have ministered to hundreds of people who needed some medical attention but were unable to afford it otherwise. “We know there is a need as so many people can’t afford medical care,” Director Diane Ullom said.
“There are so many people who make just slightly too much to get medicaid, and are not old enough to even have medicare. We care about our clientele and recognize the need. We want to get the information out there, so others who need this service are aware that we are here.”
The clinic was located in a building on Edgerton St. in Bryan for many years. In 2019, Mrs. Ullom was the speaker at the Giving Tuesday NWO event held at Founder’s Hall, and afterwards a couple gentlemen from a business in Defiance asked about helping with the building.
They felt led to buy the building and have the Compassion Clinic keep ministering there. The plan was to remodel it and use half of it for their business and half for the clinic. Due to COVID, the paperwork took quite a while to get completed, and for them to them officially own the building.
On July 12, 2020, the Edgerton St. building burned down from an electrical fire. Within three weeks the clinic was being set up again at a new location. “God has come through for us ever since we opened,” Diane said.
While a few of them were sorting through the burned building, the day after the fire, to find any items worth saving, the man from the Gas Company came to take the meter.
They got talking and he shared with Mike Kelly, Compassion Medical CEO, and Mr. and Mrs. Ullom that he is an elder at First Church of Christ in Bryan.
He said that the leadership had already talked about it, and they wanted to invite the clinic to work out of their church building, located at 129 N. Walnut St., right next to the WC Public Library. “What a blessing! We went to look at it and within three weeks we were back in business,” Diane shared. “God has been so good.”
Throughout 2020 and 2021 they have had to close and re-open a few times due to COVID, but they have kept on with the ministry. While working there, they kept watching for a building they could purchase for a move, but nothing was a fit.
The church encouraged them, “not to hurry, but to allow God to do whatever he wanted to do.” Diane shared that one day she was joking about wishing they could just stay there, and soon after that, the leadership at First Church of Christ offered to let them remodel the portion of the building that they use, and plan on staying.
They closed up to do the renovating, hired a local carpenter and made what had been adjusted rooms into a lovely refreshing medical care facility.
All the church asked for was a commitment to stay at least five years, so they are all happy with the arrangement. November 2, 2021, was opening day for the newly remodeled facility. “Construction is done,” Mrs. Ullom said, adding, “it has been phenomenal.”
On the first Tuesday of each month they have a specialty clinic with a dermatologist, a chiropractor and a podiatrist. The clinic is also open every Thursday for general practice care.
Appointments must be made ahead of time. One doctor, of the six volunteer doctors that are rotated, is present to take care of patients.
Updating their social media is also in process as they have someone working on that, doing some advertising and getting the printed Brochures updated as well.
Information online is old so for those who are interested in getting care there, the appointment number is 419-630-0313; office hours are from 5-8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays; it is for ages 18 – 65 (but they will consider older people with specific difficult circumstances); and a Physicians Pharmacy is onsite. They do not have a regular pharmacy at present.
An Open House was held on October 31, 2021 from noon to 2, but Mrs. Ullom said that she feels not enough people heard about it. They are really hoping that people will be aware now that they are available and open.
The clinic is totally independent, having no connections with the government or anyone else specifically, except for some organizations that give them donations.
For anyone interested in blessing the Compassion Medical Clinic with a donation, please mail it to Box 644, Bryan, Ohio, 43506.
Rebecca can be reached at rebecca@thevillagereporter.com
