Malta House of Care is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which provides free basic primary health care to the uninsured through mobile clinics in Hartford, Connecticut. An emphasis is placed upon untreated, chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma and other conditions acknowledged as prevalent in this area. The clinic is staffed by volunteers drawn from the active and retired staff of Saint Francis Hospital & Medical Center, Hartford Hospital, University of Connecticut Health Center, other health care facilities and health professionals in the area.
Malta House of Care seeks to improve access to health care among underserved and poor populations. Hartford is ranked as one of the ten poorest cities in the United States. 12% of residents have no medical insurance protection, 8.5% use the emergency room or community clinics for primary health care, and infant mortality is 7.6 per 1,000, nearly double the state and national rate. Malta House of Care enables the uninsured to get health care, avoiding the common syndrome of the uninsured appearing at an emergency room with a chronic condition, often at a later stage., thus lowering the cost to the community. The cost to a regional hospital to provide primary health care is as much as $400 per patient visit, including x-rays, blood tests and pharmaceuticals, while Malta House of Care delivers the same services at an average cost of $140 per patient visit. This results in a net savings to the community. Funding of the clinic’s operating needs is managed by the Malta House of Care Foundation, which solicits and manages donations.