Orange County clinic will offer free surgeries to help uninsured patients, 1st in country to have free surgeries

https://abc7.com/post/lestonnac-free-clinic-orange-county-1st-nation-provide-surgeries-uninsured-patients-starting-2025/15528277/

ORANGE, Calif. (KABC) -- A free medical clinic in Orange County will soon provide surgery for its patients at no cost.

It may not look like much now, but a 4,000-square-foot space in the city of Orange will soon transform into a state-of-the-art surgery center, helping those in the community who need it most.

"We expect this to save lives," said Edward Gerber, executive director at Lestonnac Free Clinic.

The clinic has been providing care for the uninsured since 1979. It offers free primary health care services, dental, vision care and more.

Now, it's the first free clinic in the country to build a surgery center.

"I've been with the clinic 33 years," Gerber said. "I started off here as a patient, so I know what it's like to stand in line in the waiting room and wonder am I going to have to skip dinner tonight because the lab costs are going to be too much that I can't afford?"

The Thompson Family Foundation made a $4 million donation to get the surgery center off the ground, but additional donations are needed.

"We're so excited to be able to create a model for the other free clinics throughout the nation to follow and see how they can help as well," Gerber said.