Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic

Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic BIFMC is a non-profit 501(c) organization with the mission to provide free health care to uninsured adults across Charleston, Dorchester and Berkeley counties

Most of our patients work and still cannot afford health insurance. Our volunteer medical doctors and nurses provide exceptional, high quality free health care to adults without health insurance. Our free clinic takes no state or federal funding and is supported by grants and individual donations. At BIFMC, no patient will ever be charged for their health care needs. Together, we are creating healthier workers and a healthier community.

The whole team - near and far- posing with our recent “Angel” Charity award! Only 10 nonprofits in the state of South Ca...
11/20/2025

The whole team - near and far- posing with our recent “Angel” Charity award! Only 10 nonprofits in the state of South Carolina were selected for this honor!

11/20/2025

New details from health officials suggest the whooping-cough surge may be part of a national pattern driven by slipping vaccine coverage and waning immunity, with infants bearing the brunt of the consequences.

We are SO grateful to have been named one of the 2025 'Angel' charities in South Carolina! And thank you to all of our s...
11/19/2025

We are SO grateful to have been named one of the 2025 'Angel' charities in South Carolina! And thank you to all of our supporters who make this honor possible!

Read more about this distinguished honor, and who joins us on this impressive list:

South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond on Tuesday announced the “Angels of 2025,” honoring ten charities for exemplary service.

We are so deeply grateful for The Point! Be sure to learn about this local  women's organization and all that they do to...
11/17/2025

We are so deeply grateful for The Point! Be sure to learn about this local women's organization and all that they do to support nonprofits like us across the Lowcountry! THANK YOU! 💙

Think you can sneak by without getting a flu shot this year? Why would you want to! Consider a few important reasons why...
11/13/2025

Think you can sneak by without getting a flu shot this year? Why would you want to! Consider a few important reasons why you should take the plunge and get jabbed:

As the Charleston heat begins to cool and the Lowcountry autumn creeps in, the “dreaded” signs begin to pop up: Flu Shot Immunizations Here!

"For some, a volunteer experience is a meaningful chapter. For others, it’s the start of a journey. For one Charleston n...
11/12/2025

"For some, a volunteer experience is a meaningful chapter. For others, it’s the start of a journey. For one Charleston native, two summers of volunteering at Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic opened the door to a rewarding career of service, language, and community connection."

Read more about former student volunteer turned staff member, Annabelle Burkhold, here: https://bifmc.org/from-volunteer-to-vital-team-member-a-homegrown-journey-at-bifmc/

More photos from our Volunteer Appreciation Picnic! We are beyond grateful for these incredible people who donate their ...
11/11/2025

More photos from our Volunteer Appreciation Picnic! We are beyond grateful for these incredible people who donate their time and talents to serve thousands of uninsured adults across the Tri-county! And they also happen to be a great time! THANK YOU!

Address

3226 Maybank Highway, Building C
Johns Island, SC
29455

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 9pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+18432669800

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Our Story

If you eat in local restaurants, employ a housekeeper or caretaker, hire lawn service, play golf, or eat local produce: you probably have been served by Barrier Islanders and Downtown Charleston Hospitality workers who have no health insurance – and who are likely our patients at Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic.

We are Free Medical Clinic who believes everyone deservers the dignity of health care. Those who are treated at our Clinic are primarily those who live or work across the Barrier Islands who do not have access to health insurance - and cannot afford it alone. By implementing the Free Clinic Model of low-cost, volunteer-driven medical care, we are creating healthier workers and a healthier community and economy. These health benefits lessen the degree of financial insecurity experienced by those who live at the poverty level throughout Charleston, decreasing both household medical debit and unfunded emergency medical bills garnered by area hospitals.

The Affordable Healthcare Act has achieved coverage for many, but not for all; particularly in a state that did not expand medicaid under the ACA. Those on the fringes of the U.S. economy are often hit hardest during times of economic decline. Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic is committed to serving the impoverished as primary care medical home. Through your donation, we are able to provide high quality, on-going medical care to those who work but are not afforded benefits; those who have recently lost a job and no longer have health insurance, and those who simply cannot afford medical coverage.

Too often, the sickest, uninsured patients are forced to seek their primary care in the emergency room (ER). The 2010 cost of unfunded ER visits for primary care at Roper Saint Francis’ four sites was $8,300,000, and at MUSC was $2,700,000. The 2010 average cost of a primary care visit in a South Carolina ER was $2,048. Conversely, The Clinic cost to provide a primary care visit is an average of $100. We posit that unfunded primary care visits should occur in our Clinic, rather than the emergency room. For every $1 donated to our clinic, we can provide $8 in medical care - every amount matters, and every volunteer and medical partnership enhances our commitment and care to the lowcountry community.