The Christian Free Clinic in Botetourt has named Jenny Daniels its new executive director.

The announcement that was made by the Free Clinic’s Medical Director, Dr. Bob Allen, at an appreciation dinner February 23 for volunteers, sponsors and other donors and contributors at the facility, which celebrated its first year of operation in January.

Approximately 100 people attended the event, held at the Fincastle Baptist Church, which is also the location of the clinic.

The clinic was started at the urging of local physician, Susanne Voekler. Dr. Voekler, in internal medicine specialist with Lewis-Gale, had volunteered with several other free clinics while as a medical student in Washington, D.C., and as an intern and resident in California, as well as in the Roanoke area. She serves as Clinical Director at the Botetourt Clinic.

The clinic operates Tuesday evenings for Botetourt County residents who meet eligibility requirements, including lack of health insurance and low income, and are not eligible for existing governmental assistance programs. No fees or charges are levied on patients for treatment or medicines.

Daniels has previously been a volunteer coordinator at the clinic from its earliest days. She holds bachelor and masters degrees in education from Auburn University in Alabama and from Mississippi State University. Currently the clinic sees as many as thirty patients a night, about double the number from a year ago. It operates with a nightly staff of approximately thirty people, including four physicians, plus nurses and pharmacists, physical therapists, couriers and administrative aides, most of whom are from Botetourt County. The clinic provides on-site diagnosis and treatment of a variety of illnesses, providing referral services as needed.

Laboratory analysis is provided by Lewis-Gale.

Future growth for the clinic is anticipated. Right now, according to Dr. Voekler, the greatest need, in addition to the medical care, is providing an effective dental program, which is in development.