Dr. Bijan Hakimian is no stranger to volunteering at Grace Medical Home. In fact, his arrival at Grace Medical Home is more of a homecoming.

While receiving his undergraduate degree at the University of Central Florida, Dr. Bijan was an active member of UCF Pre-Dental Student Association (PDSA) and served on the Executive Board as Secretary for the club. As a Pre-Dental Student, he volunteered at Harvest Time International and AdventHealth where Michelle Lawton, Grace’s Director of Dental Center Operations, helped create their dental programs. He kept in touch with Michelle , while attending dental school. When he returned to Orlando as a licensed provider, it was only natural that he came to Grace as a volunteer provider.

Lorenza Rodriguez had suffered with trigeminal neuralgia for over 20 years. Trigeminal Neuralgia is a severely painful condition of the facial nerve which spreads across the cheeks, jaw, lips, and nose. It causes electrical shock type of pain with talking, eating, or brushing your teeth; even the wind or AC blowing on your face is painful. It can be so bad that there are reported suicides due to this excruciatingly painful condition.

It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that we introduce you to the newest addition to our staff, Ella Bouriak, who has joined us as the Associate Director of Philanthropy. Ella brings with her a wealth of experience and a passion for making a difference in the lives of others through philanthropy.

Restoring our patients’ health and hope is a daunting task. One that we don’t take lightly and one that we can’t undertake by ourselves. We couldn’t do what we do without our valued volunteers and community partners. We recently honored these special friends at an Open House that also hosted two milestone ribbon cuttings for Grace Wellness Home and our Mobile Medical Unit.

Grace Medical Home recently welcomed two new members to their Board of Directors: Amanda Dukes, Professional On-Call for the Communications Division of Orange County Government, and Lisa Wong Shue, owner of Skyward Tax & Accounting Service.

Grace Medical Home's annual Patient Worship Service stands as a beacon of light in a world often shrouded in darkness. It is a place where the broken find healing, the weary find rest, and the lost find hope. Through prayer, praise, and testimonies of faith, lives are touched, hearts are renewed, and miracles unfold. In this sacred space, the journey from illness to wholeness is not merely physical but spiritual, as patients discover that true healing begins with a surrendered heart and a steadfast trust in the Lord.

Construction is underway for Grace Wellness Home to expand mental health and wellness initiatives for the uninsured. In addition to addressing patients’ physical, emotional, social and spiritual health, Grace will focus on individualized plans to improve wellness. Educating and equipping patients with additional wellness tools and developing new skills will further reduce stress, improve health outcomes and strengthen patients’ resilience.

Grace Medical Home celebrated a significant step in expanding whole-person care initiatives for the uninsured by kicking-off construction on Grace Wellness Home. Community partners, dedicated board, staff and volunteers to joined us to recognize and thank our community partners who invested a collective $1,126,500 to purchase, renovate, staff and furnish Grace Wellness Home.

Have you ever stopped to think about the impact and importance of celebrating your birthday with the ones you love? As we grow older, sometimes the excitement of celebrating birthdays can fade. Imagine celebrating your birthday like you’re seven years old again. Full of joy, excited for the year ahead, doing something you love with the ones who make you smile. Leah’s* birthday celebration reminded me to fully embrace and celebrate each birthday, and every day in between. Every day and every year are gifts!

For Margie Varney, retirement is never an option. “Starting a new chapter is what I have done many times, but never retirement,” said the former community builder, world trade executive, retail shop owner, political advocate and business executive.

Grace partnered with VSP Vision Care to provide more than 130 patients with the gift of sight last month.

During their three-day visit, VSP doctors and volunteers served Grace patients in the VSP Vision Care bus, giving them comprehensive eye exams and new prescription glasses at no cost.

Grace Medical Home was honored by Teva Pharmaceuticals, the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) and Direct Relief at the NAFC 2022 Charitable Health Care Symposium in Indianapolis, IN.

Grace Medical Home was among 11 free and charitable clinics across California, Florida, and New Jersey that earned a $75,000 award to address mental health needs through Community Routes: Access to Mental Health Care. Community Routes: Access to Mental Healthcare, a partnership between Direct Relief, the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, and Teva Pharmaceuticals, provides awards to support clinics expanding access to mental health services across three states.

Grace recently celebrated the culmination of visual arts classes for some of our pediatric patients. Created and led by Gabby Hammond, a Gap Year Intern, the program introduced the arts as a coping strategy and emotional outlet to help build participants’ resilience.

Five pediatric patients at Grace Medical Home were the inaugural graduates of Grace's partnership with the Orlando Ballet S.T.E.P.S. program (Scholarship Training for the Enrichment of Primary Students).

On May 6, 2022, participants gathered for the 9th annual Spa Invitational to enjoy pampering services while supporting Grace Medical Home.

As a nonprofit organization, Grace Medical Home relies on the generosity of donors to support our mission to serve uninsured individuals and families in Orange County.

As a charitable clinic, Grace is part of a network of similarly-minded facilities in the state of Florida through the Florida Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (FAFCC).

What is the need for Grace Medical Home? Our CEO Stephanie N. Garris shares the state of the uninsured in our community and Grace’s role in serving our community.

We are so grateful to be celebrating 10 years of Grace and for the many community leaders who continue to support our mission!

Watch our seven Trustees gather to reflect on the past 10 years and receiving the call to serve those in our community who need it the most.

For college students, the future is full of potential and opportunities. And as gap years for students grow in popularity, Grace Medical Home has been able to help aspiring medical school students maximize time between schooling through a partnership with the University of Central Florida Burnett Honors College.

Once a patient, Kingstona Saint Lot now assists patients as a front desk volunteer at Grace Medical Home. Kingstona, 19, first arrived at Grace as a patient in 2018 while she was in high school. Originally from Haiti, she came to the United States four years ago.