The Lighthouse Free Medical Clinic on Buffalo’s East Side was established in 2001 by UB medical students.

The clinic is open most Wednesdays, year round, and provides free care to patients on a drop-in basis. It is operated by first- and second-year students under the supervision of Chester Fox, MD, Myron Glick, MD, and other UB medical school faculty who volunteer their time.

The clinic’s story dates back to 1998, when two first-year medical students, Richard Newell and Gerard Silva, looked up from their textbooks and decided to make a difference.

“We thought we were very blessed to be where we were—as well off as we were and able to go to medical school. But in the community right outside the medical school we saw a lot of poverty and a lot of need,” says Newell.

The clinic was first located in the basement of Resurrection Lutheran Church at the corner of Genesee and Doat streets. Once it became apparent that the clinic would be successful, the church purchased the building next door. Various funding sources, including the church’s congregation, provided support for the clinic to supplement funds that students raise each year. In 2012, Lighthouse entered into a new partnership with Group Ministries and moved to its current location at Jefferson Avenue and East Utica Street.

In addition to providing routine, non-emergent care, clinic staff administer vaccinations, conduct physicals, screen for chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, offer counseling and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases including HIV, and provide referrals as needed. Some generic drugs are available free of charge. The clinic also partners with clinical social workers who help enroll individuals and families in health insurance plans, including Medicaid, and Child and/or Family Health Plus.

“The students have been invaluable. You would have thought that maybe after the first group of students started the clinic, it might have disappeared,” says the Rev. Charles Biegner of Resurrection Lutheran Church. “But somehow, the enthusiasm remains and the torch is being passed from one group to the next.”

1323 Jefferson Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14208

Phone: (716) 222-0805

Open Wednesdays

No appointment needed