In partnership with the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), the Charitable Healthcare Network (CHN) is pleased to announce Susan Deming, RN as the 2022 Free Clinic Nurse of the Year award winner for her work with the Lake County Free Clinic (LCFC).
Located in Painesville, the Lake County Free Clinic has since 1971 existed to address the unmet healthcare needs of the residents of our community by providing quality medical and dental care. Deming joined LCFC as a volunteer in 2015 and has become the primary volunteer for LCFC’s monthly Saturday morning clinics, helping to increase access to whole-person healthcare for uninsured individuals whose employment makes weekday appointments impossible. In 2019, Deming joined the LCFC Board of Trustees and now serves as board Vice President.
Deming also leads the Board’s building committee and has been instrumental in supporting the clinic’s future location. When LCFC learned in mid-2020 that the clinic’s building was going to be sold in January 2021, Deming immediately volunteered her time and experience. She and her husband own a contracting company in Lake County and have provided hours of support to LCFC to ensure that everything is completed according to plan so that LCFC can move and begin operating in the new space in January 2023.
“Not many individuals are willing to volunteer their time, especially with short notice. Fewer are willing to pair that with financial support, and even fewer are willing to assume the responsibility that comes with serving as a board member, according to the nomination for the award. “Sue’s whole-hearted willingness to donate her time, her nursing expertise, and her life skills, along with her firm belief that everyone deserves access to healthcare, are remarkable.”
Deming has lived in Lake County for the last 34 years and worked as a registered nurse in Northeast Ohio over the course of four decades until retiring in 2020. A graduate of the University of Akron with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Deming provided care as a registered nurse in the clinical areas of Intensive Care, Interventional Cardiology and Clinical Informatics. More information on the Lake County Free Clinic can be found at http://lakefreeclinic.orglakefreeclinic.org.
The Ohio Legislature, through H.B. 320 of the 130th General Assembly in 2014, designated December as Free Clinic Appreciation Month (FCAM) in Ohio. As part of Free Clinic Appreciation Month, the Charitable Healthcare Network and the Ohio Department of Health recognize the accomplishments of Ohio's free clinics with Free Clinic Award presentations.
