In the letter, Walker stated that “Our goal in planning for the future of the annex is threefold: (1) to
accommodate the unprecedented patient growth at the Clinic, (2) to offer additional services and programs
to our patients by utilizing existing space, and (3) to obtain assurance that care delivered at the
annex is of high quality and conforms with legal and ethical standards that govern medical practices.”
During and after the annual meeting, many members of the Boca Grande community offered suggestions,
shared opinions and raised questions about the annex’s future.
“The Board appreciates the feedback they have received. After much deliberation and debate, we
have approved a compromise that we hope satisfies all parties, particularly our patients.
We will be drafting a new facilities’ utilization agreement for each of the practitioners at the annex,”
said Dr. Walker.
The members of the Clinic’s
board believe this compromise
will allow the Clinic’s
medical staff and the annex’s
independent providers to
work with the shared goal of
providing high-quality healthcare
to the Boca Grande
community.
At the annual meeting, Dr. Jim May talked about the history of the clinic and said Louise DuPont
Crowninshield initiated conversations about healthcare on this island in 1938.
"In those days it was best to get sick on Tuesday, because there was one doctor on the island each
Tuesday," May said.
The first Boca Grande clinic opened its doors in 1947. It started out on the second floor of the railroad
depot building. The clinic later moved to the old theatre building, and eventually the Fugate’s building.
As it continued to grow, it required more resources. The freestanding clinic moved into the present
annex building in 1964.
"In 1990 we had outgrown that building and soon a new clinic building emerged across the street,"
May said. "The annex became a rental resource and has continued to be one for 55 years."
The Boca Grande Health Clinic Foundation and the Boca Grande Clinic have maintained ownership
of the annex, with an eye to the expansion needs of the Clinic.
At the annual meeting, Dr. May said the clinic is simply running out of space to continue to meet the
needs of the community.
"We are pushing beyond our seasonal capacity, and thusly we have are forced as a clinic to look at the
annex for expansional needs now and in the future," May said.
The Boca Grande Health Clinic is a non-profit organization that provides medical care to the Gasparilla
Island community. The Clinic is staffed year round with board certified physicians providing ongoing
primary healthcare to patients of the Clinic and providing urgent healthcare services for all of the community.
Physicians may be seen by appointment or on a walk-in basis Monday through Friday, except
holidays. A physician is on-call 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The on-call physician may be
reached by calling the Clinic at (941) 964-2276 and following the instructions in the message.
G
M
History of the Clinic
July/August 2019 GASPARILLA ISLAND 35