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HISTORY
Started as a free clinic
simultaneously with Berkeley Free Clinic
on the West Coast, People’s Free Medical
Clinic was the first freestanding medical
center on the East Coast. Together, these
centers were the first in the country. Staffed
by an all volunteer group of professional
and lay people, People’s Free opened to
provide adult medicine, pediatrics, dental care, gynecology
and mental health counseling. People’s has
evolved over the past three decades to become
a full service medical, dental and behavioral
health center accredited by the Joint Commission
on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations.
Still operating its largest clinical pratice within the original
building on Greenmount Avenue, People's added eight additional delivery sites-a behavioral health and dental program on the
east side of Greenmount Avenue and full service practices at 5225 York Road, 5117 Ritchie Highway, 808 N. Franklintown Road,
1111 Washington Boulevard, 1734 Maryland Avenue, 8341 Pioneer Drive in Severn, and 1301 N. Fulton Street.
People's Center, born in activist '60's, survives to help defray
medical costs
By Ellen Hawks
Evening Sun Staff
In 1969, the Baltimore Defense Committee (a group of anti-war
activists) and the Black Panthers, who had opened other health clinics around the country, joined forces to provide medical
care for the uninsured.
However, the Panthers had experienced some safety problems in
other Clinics and they decided to quit the involvement here. Then the Coalition of Women's Liberation joined the Defense
Committee and the center opened in 1970.
Flyer announcements were sent out and money pledges and volunteers
began to come in.
In the beginning, care at the center was given solely by volunteers,
and People's received no federal money because "at that time, government involvement was not wanted. So, with the cost of
maintaining the clinic rising, patients were asked to give a donation if they could."
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