Neighborhood Involvement Program’s Community Clinic

I have health insurance now, but I used to go to this place when I didn’t. They were there for me when I needed good, basic healthcare that was affordable and I will always be grateful that this place exists. The staff were amazing and kind, they were also thorough. I used to see the NP, Laura Mitchell, and she was just wonderful. Can’t thank them enough for all they have done for me!

Waiting list is a month or so… sad day! :(

I’ve had insurance the last couple years so I no longer go to NIP’s clinic, but I went many times when I had no insurance. I’m always recommending them to friends that don’t have insurance.
The doctors and nurses are volunteers so you aren’t likely to get the same one twice, but all the ones I had were good or better than good.
I went there for a bunch of different things. They usually gave me same day appointments when I was sick. Less urgent stuff like a dermatology appointment and a tooth cleaning at the dental clinic were scheduled farther ahead. The only person I ever saw get turned away was somebody who needed a leg x-​ray, but there might be other procedures they aren’t set up for.

The only rule for NIP’s Community Clinic is that you aren’t allowed to have health insurance. That’s me so in my book this place is awesome.
They charge you on a sliding scale based on your monthly income. You dont even have to bring in pay stubs for proof – they just take your word for it!
For my appointment, I called at 9 a.m. and got an appointment for the same day. SAME DAY! I couldn’t help but think NIP functions better than your average health care facility. I spent about 20 minutes in the waiting room (less time than I ever spent at my former HMO) and was seen by a nurse and a doctor in a timely manner… unheard of in health care.
I had my appointment, asked all kinds of questions about unrelated stuff (hey I wanted to get my money’s worth) and the doctors never made me feel rushed or bothersome. They answered all my questions, went out of their way to make sure they knew my situation, and in the end kept asking me if they could help me in any other way. I almost passed out from disbelief. Is this place for real?
In the end, I spent $ 55 total, including my hour-​long visit and some prescriptions that I bought from their low-​cost pharmacy. They even had flu vaccines available for only $ 5 a pop. Even through work they were going to charge me $ 25 at least! Now, I dont think they could accommodate me if I was in a car accident but it was nice to know I could finally go to the doctor (or the dentist) without shelling out $ 300 a month for insurance.
In the meantime, I continue to wait on my never-​ending application process for MinnesotaCare, which will probably get denied in the end anyway. Screw you Tim Pawlenty. Long live NIP!