Staff report

A new nonprofit medical clinic is in town. 

The Homer PopUp Clinic is a recently-established free clinic that aims to provide access to non-urgent, basic medical care and consultation to individuals in need within the community.

The clinic is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays at the Homer United Methodist Church, 770 East End Road, overlapping with the Homer Community Food Pantry, which operates Mondays from noon to 3 p.m.

Created by Lisa Zatz, a local certified family nurse practitioner with a decade of experience, the clinic is designed to meet people where they are by offering care in a familiar and accessible setting. As community needs evolve, clinic hours may be adjusted or potentially include more week days to better serve patients.

The Homer PopUp Clinic currently is the only free clinic in Alaska. It typically sees three to five patients each Monday and has the capacity to see six to eight.

“Our goal is to help individuals who may not have the resources to access care—or even the ability to get to it,” Zatz said in a June 29 press release. “By providing this service, we also hope to reduce unnecessary emergency department visits and help connect patients to appropriate levels of care within Homer’s medical community.”

Support from several key Homer institutions made the clinic’s launch possible — including local medical providers, South Peninsula Hospital and the Homer United Methodist Church, which generously offers space for the clinic. 

“We view this effort as a critical service to the community and a vital partnership for the church,” HUMC Rev. Blake Langston said in the release. “Lisa’s vision for this clinic is a wonderful gift to Homer and very much aligns with our values to love boldly, serve joyfully and lead courageously.”

Healthcare providers and administrators interested in supporting or learning more about the clinic are encouraged to contact HomerPopUp@gmail.com. The clinic also has a text phone at 907-299-4218, which is checked once a day.

For emergency help, please do not use this phone — call 911 instead.