You must be ages 19-64, live in TN, have no form of health insurance, and have some form of a job.

Yes. The criteria of working uninsured extends to spouses. If one spouse is working and the other is doing the unpaid labor of household management, they are eligible for care. We also provide transitional care for newly released individuals who are actively job seeking and need health care as they re-enter society. Full-time students or part-time students, over the age of 19 are also eligible, as “working” can also mean finishing your education to build a better future for yourself. If you are unsure if you qualify, please call.

No. We are not an urgent care, we are a primary care home. We suggest a walk-in urgent care. You must live in Tennessee to use our clinic.

Yes, we renamed the clinic on Jan 25, 2023 in honor of our founder, Dr. Tom Kim.

KHC is a nonprofit clinic. We charge a nominal fee ($10 for a first visit and $5 for a follow-up visit) for services that can slide to zero cost if there is extreme financial hardship. We rely on our community of donors, grantors, and community partnerships to be sustainable. We are grateful to be part of the Safety Net program in accordance with the State of Tennessee, and to have community grant partners such as Aslan Foundation, Trinity Health Foundation, Sequoya Hills Presbyterian Church, Thompson Foundation, and the UTMC Health Equity Initiative. Our partnerships with UT Medical Center, South College, Wesleyan University, and Lincoln Memorial University help us provide service with medical providers who bring their expertise from all areas.

FMCA/KHC is a stand-alone 501©3 nonprofit organization that is affiliated with The University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC) as part of their health equity initiatives. The affiliation with UTMC began in 2019 when the Founder of the Free Medical Clinic of America, Dr. Tom Kim, announced his retirement and approached UTMC with an opportunity to expand its work in health equity. UTMC has provided some grant funding, grant writing and fundraising support for specific projects and in-kind donations that help the FMCA maintain a low overhead and focus on patient services. A new Board of Directors was created that includes local health experts and community leaders. FMCA maintains responsibility for its own sustainability.

The community partnership began in 2019 when the founder of the Free Medical Clinic of America, Dr. Tom Kim, planned to retire and Dr. Keith Gray, Chief Medical Officer, saw an opportunity for UTMC to grow its health equity initiative in a targeted, meaningful way, while also continuing a vital service for the medically underserved. Dr. Gray assembled a new Board of Directors led by local community health experts such as Dr. Randall Dabs, Dr. Jack Lacey, and Dr. Bill Broome, and began the affiliation with FMCA by UTMC grant writing and fundraising to refurbish the clinic, add a dental unit, and negotiate in-kind donations to foster a low overhead environment, keeping the focus on patient needs.

Dr. Tom Kim is the founder of the Free Medical Clinic of America, which is the original name of our clinic. He retired in 2019. In 2023, the clinic was renamed the Kim Heath Center in his honor. Dr, Kim was a successful oncologist who felt inspired by his Christian upbringing to give back to the community that had given him so much. He began offering free services in 1993 and was responsible for the start of multiple free clinics in East Tennessee.